We aren't kids anymore
by charlotteeelizabeth38
Summary: Harry's missing sister appears to turn everything on its head. Complete with new romances, dramas, heartbreaks, friendships and enemies, hormones run high as Elspeth Potter(more commonly known as Ella) conceals her past in order to fit in with her brother's life, but can she keep it all in the past? Some adult themes and sexual content, so suitable for older teens and adults.
1. New Starts

**Obliviously, I don't any of the characters apart from my one OC, everything is owned by the amazing JK Rowling and there is no copyright infringment intended. Please review, let me know what you think, just please don't be too harsh, this is the first time I've ever written a story or anything and lastly, enjoy :) x**

Chapter 1

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way up to the great hall, excitedly chatting about the, soon to come, arrivals of the other schools for the Triwizard tournament.

"Honestly boys, I don't see quite why you're_so _excited about the Beauxbatons girls. Harry, you've been drooling over Cho since you played her in Quidditch last year and Ron, you've never really been the type to just go up and talk to girls really, have you?" Hermione lectured the boys. Ron rolled his eyes defensively in response.

"I'll show you, Hermione. Just you watch me talk to them," Ron huffed, setting the other two into hysterical laughter as they reached the gryffindor, to take their seats between Neville and Dean and Fred and George.

Hermione noticed Harry was on edge, not paying much attention to any of the conversations around him.

"Harry what's wrong?" Hermione enquired.

"It's nothing, honestly" He replied, hoping his friend would shrug it off.

"You're thinking about your sister aren't you?" She asked nervously. Harry knew he had had a sister whilst his parents were still alive but what had happened to her since, no one really knew. There were rumours that she had been killed on the same night as his parents, and that she had been sent away to a foreign country shortly after their parent's death for many speculated reasons, despite being merely 18 months older than her brother . Some said it was because she was said to possess an unusual power, one that would be dangerous to be left in the hands of muggles. Other's said it was because she was never really the Potter's child. Harry had never known what to believe but he had come to the conclusion that she must be dead otherwise he would know.

"I know she's probably dead 'mione but I just can't stop myself from wondering whether she really did get sent to a foreign country and now she might be coming to Hogwarts."

"Harry, don't torture yourself with false fantasies. You said yourself she's probably dead, now lets just leave it at that." She said matter-of-factly, giving her friend's hand a quick squeeze before flashing him a reassuring smile.

"But if she _is _alive, wherever she is, she's the only family I have left," But hermione just sent him a sympathetic look before looking away.

As promised, Dumbledore introduced the guest school to the rest of the school, as they entered. First the Beauxbaton girls entered, entrancing almost every boy in the school. Hermione look one look around her to see the looks on the boy's faces around her and rolled her eyes. Next entered the young men of Durmstrang, striding through the centre of the hall, catching the breath of all the spectators. They were closely followed by a man whom Harry knew to be Igor Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang, with Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Quidditch player, to his left, and a tall, slim girl to his right. The girl had dark wavy hair that went just past her shoulders, with natural light brown and dark blonde highlights. Harry shot Hermione a hopeful look just for her to shake her head in distaste at him optimism.

After the usual notices and announcements, the feast began. Midway through the feast, whilst the group were laughing and chatting over the marvelous selection of chicken wings, roast potatoes and giant yorkshire puddings, the young girl who had been stood next to Karkaroff walked over and cleared her throat. Everyone looked up or swung round to see the new arrival. Up close, the girl was very pretty. She had dark, long eyelashes and dazzling green eyes.

"And how can I help you!" Fred Weasley oggled at the new arrival in his usual flirtatious manner. She simply lightly play smacked him over the back of the head, laughing before turning to look at Harry.

"You're Harry Potter, right?" She enquired. Harry nodded uncertainly, curious of what she wanted. "Might I be able to possibly have a word?" He nodded once again, speechless. "Alone" she added bluntly, scanning the curious faces of the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry" Harry replied, snapping out of his trance.

The pair walked just outside of the hall where they turned to face each other.

"I'm sorry but I don't think I caught your name" Harry hinted politely

"Sorry, I'm Elspeth. Elspeth Potter, but everyone just calls me Ella" She rushed quickly.

Harry stood staring at the girl. Could she possibly be telling the truth? Could she _really_be his sister?

"look I'm so sorry I never tried to contact you. It's just, Bulgaria's so far away and I spent last year on the run but then Igor found me and enrolled me at Durmstrang, realising I obviously wasn't happy at Beauxbatons so you see I just haven't had time, but I'm here now and that's all that matters, right?" Ella gushed, trying to make up for her brother's silence.

"You're my sister?" He asked, still unable to comprehend what he had just been told. She nodded before Harry repeated himself. She nodded again. Finally he let out a gasp of a combination of shock and joy before flinging his arms around his new found relative, hugging her tightly.

"I can't believe it! I actually have a family! I mean I have Sirius but he's not actually related'

"Who's Sirius? Ella asked, finally being released from her brother's hug.

"My godfather, he's actually in hiding at the minute because he escaped from azkaban last year, which makes him sound really bad, but it wasn't him, he was framed. And now I will have scared you off because I sound like a lunatic because I can't stop speaking but I've got a sister. Oh my god I really am so sorry, I'm not normally like this" Harry blurted out frantically.

"Harry" Ella tried to stop her brother's ramblings, "Harry!" he stopped abruptly and look sheepish before muttering something about being sorry. " It's fine, honestly. I've just landed this huge news on you. Do you want to go back inside?" She added, gesturing towards the hall where the feast was still continuing and with that the pair returned to their meals.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Harry was silent through the rest of the feast, still attempting to comprehend what had just happened. After the meal was over, he sat curled up with his head on his knees in front of the fire in the packed Gryffindor common room, which was still buzzing about the arrival of the foreign schools.

"So Harry, what did the hot foreign girl want?" Asked George plonking himself next to Harry.

"Yeah Harry, what did she want?" George mimicked, sitting the other side of the boy.

"You guys think she's hot?!" He exclaimed before shaking his head and getting to the point. "firstly she's not foreign at all it turns out, and she just wanted to let me know she's the sister I wasn't sure if I even had or had any clue where she was."He stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh...errr...right. Well I suppose, congrats kid," Fred patted his younger brother's friend on the back.

"Are you being serious Harry?!" Hermione asked, startled. Harry gave her a look to signify it was no joking matter. "Oh sorry, I was just certain that she must have died. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, I suppose, I at least have this year to get to know her now."

The group nodded in agreement before Fred Weasley broke the silence,

"Well, at least you'll be able to introduce now if you know what I mean" He teased, winking at the younger boy. Harry replied with a playful punch to the arm of the twin.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

After the feast, Ella had quickly made her way back to the ship, not waiting for the rest of her school mates. Just before she at the ship, she felt someone grab ahold of her arm.

"Krum" She swung round, and released a sigh of relief, "you gave me a fright."

"Sorry, I just wanted to know how it went with your brother," She shot him a confused look.

"I saw you talking to him, and I remember you told me zat you had a brother in England zat you didn't know and zen I heard zomeone call the boy you were talking to "'Arry Potter'" She just nodded pensively in response.

"Krum, to bed. I need a word with Miss Potter," A new voice spoke coldly behind Ella, sending shivers down her back.

"What is it Igor?" She swung round to come face to face with her headmaster.

"Don't take that tone with my Elspeth," He snapped viciously. "I saw you talking to your brother. I strictly FORBID you from speaking to him!"

"But he's the only family I have, you can't blame me for wanting to get to know him." She protested.

"You will do no such thing. If I see you as much as look at him again, I will accompany you everywhere you go. There's to be no fraternizing with the competition, and especially not your brother! First you're just talking to him, next you are jeopardizing our schools chance of victory because you're 'just trying to help'" He spat, mimicking the young girl.

"But.." She started.

"But nothing," He snarled, "We must win, which is why you must be our school's champion, your power is legendary after all, that's why you got sent to the European magical institute for young orphans when your parents died."

"But I can't even enter, I'm not even quite 16 yet, never mind 17."

"Then find a way." And with that he moved closer to the young girl and outstretched a hand to stroke her cheek.

"I told that _that _all finished in summer" Ella declared, furiously slapping the mans hand away.

"Careful, you're starting to sound ungrateful. You know how much fun we had, why not let the fun continue?" He chuckled maliciously at the look of discomfort and dread in the girl's eyes as he once again moved closer, this time taking a hold of her delicate wrist "Now, are you coming to bed?" he rhetorically asked before dropping his grip and striding off towards the ship, slowly followed by Ella.


	2. got a secret, can you keep it?

Ella had tossed and turned all night next to Igor, trying to sleep. As she saw the sun start to rise out the window she got up, wrapped a big granny cardigan around her shoulders, over her old baggy top and a loose fitting pair of tracksuit bottoms.

She walked around the edge of the lake, thinking of her current situation. She knew she would either have to chose her brother or her headmaster. On one hand, Harry was family and Igor was a controlling manipulator, yet she was so grateful towards him and what he had done for her last May. He didn't have to take her into his personal house and provide food, clothes and shelter for her after she had spent the most part of the previous academic year homeless, but he did, and for that she could never thank him enough. For all she knew, Harry could be horrible and just generally a person she would not want to get to know under other circumstances. However, she felt she had to get to know him, if for no other reason than to honor her deceased parents.

Suddenly, she hit something hard and stumbled backwards before a large sturdy hand grabbed her, stopping her from falling. Ella looked up from her feet to see the tall ginger boy who had been sat near her brother the previous night at dinner.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," Fred Weasley apologised, the tops of his ears turning a light crimson.

"no it's fine, I wasn't looking either," She offered him an apologetic smile.

"Guessing, you can't sleep either?" He asked, sitting down on the damp lakeside morning grass..

"No, there's just so much going on at the minute. My head's too full to sleep" She flopped down, next to the handsome boy.

"I'm Fred Weasley, by the way" He offered her a polite hand which she shook, "And you're Harry Potter's long lost sister, if I'm not mistaken" He teased.

"Yeah, I'm Elspeth Potter, but honestly, I only ever get called Ella,"She sighed. She felt relaxed in the boy's presence without any reason. It frightened her. She had grown up, not fully trusting anyone; always looking out for herself before anyone else. She hoped this would change this year, but she had promised herself not to get her hopes up.

"You don't much look like him if I'm being honest, except the eyes. I thought his were quite shockingly green but yours are even more so," He joked, prodding her arm.

"I take a lot after my mother, we look very similar. That's where Harry gets his eyes from I suppose. Look," She pulled a locket from around her neck and opened it. Inside was a small piece of parchment or something folded up very small. As she unfolded it, it became clear that it was as photograph. The photo was of a laughing man who looked a lot like Harry but much older, holding a young child in one arm and hugging a beautiful woman who also wore a huge smile with his other.

"That's my mother and father," She handed the photo over to the boy, "and that baby's me. If you look closely you can see my mother, Lily, is actually pregnant with Harry."

"Wow, I see what you mean. At first glance, I thought you were the woman in the picture. Until I saw the hair of course, you must inherit your dad's messy mop hair, much like Harry," Ella laughed, lightly shoving the boy.

"You haven't even given me a chance to brush it yet, of course it's going to be messy," She protested humorously.

"You planning to enter this tournament then?" Fred enquired.

"I can't, I'm only 15, 16 in a couple of months. You?"

"Not allowed I'm 16, until the 1st of April that is," He joked.

"April fools baby, no wonder you're such a joker," He teased him, playfully punching the boy in his arm, much like her brother had the night before.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you here then. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you're here," He teased, "but isn't it only meant to be possible champions that came?"

"I don't know, maybe to keep an eye on me after I went on a runner for 8 months last year from Beauxbatons." They both sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the sun rise.

"Fancy telling me what was filling your mind so much that you couldn't sleep, then?"

"I can't really, I just need to decide where my loyalties lie and weigh up my options, and which one will hurt the least people." She confessed.

"Oh, like what?" Fred asked, sounding worried. However the way she had immediately trusted him and told her what was on her mind without thinking scared her.

"I'm sorry, I need to go" She quickly stood up, frantically brushing the loose grass off her trousers and without looking back she darted back to the ship, fearful of her headmaster's wrath if he had woken to find her gone.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

After Ella had gone back to the headmaster's room in the ship to find it deserted she decided it would be best to keep out of his way for the rest of the day and decided to try and talk to her brother in a less public way. Just before lunch, she caught sight of her brother and ran to catch up with him. He turned round to her call.

"Oh hey!" He greeted her, "How are you?"

"Oh I'm alright thanks," She beamed at her brother's friendly nature, "I was just wondering whether you would want to go for a wander after lunch? You know just to have a chat and get to know one another, I feel as though we owe it to our parents," she paused, "but of course if you don't want to thats fine by me."

"Of course I do, see you by the entrance after lunch," He said before walking to catch up with his friends. Ella looked up, not being able to stop the grin she now wore from being plastered across her face, when she caught of eye of the boy she had met earlier that morning. He sent her a quick wink and said something to his twin before walking towards the girl. However, a few moments later she felt a hand seize her upper arm and drag her round the corner, to a deserted part of the corridor.

"Where were you this morning?" Karkaroff demanded.

"I just went for a walk," She murmured, "...honestly! I couldn't sleep," She added at her headmaster's quizzical and scornful look.

"Very well, you just worried me," He hissed, pulling her closer until she could feel his hot harsh breath on her face. "You don't want me to stressing now, do you? You know what happens when I get stressed," He growled mockingly, bearing a dirty grin. He leant into her, ready to catch her lips in his once again., his arms resting on the wall behind her, either side of her head, trapping her.

"I said last night was going to be the last time,' Ella hissed, shoving the man off of her.

"And I thought, I was the one who called the shots around here," He retaliated.

"No, not this time. I'm being serious, I want to sleep in my own room," She snarled, "on. my. own." Her voice became soft and dangerous as her temper rose. Karkaroff rose his hand before smacking the girl clean across the face, leaving a red mark on her cheek.

"Don't even think of speaking to me like that again," He growled in her ear, "you can have tonight in your own room to give you chance to...cool off," He looked the girl up and down laughing at her outburst, "but tomorrow I expect you at my door at 11 o'clock sharp or there will be serious consequences, understand?" The girl nodded, his face barely an inch from her own. And with that the headmaster turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. Ella looked up to see a tall, handsome ginger, standing at the corner wearing a mixture of a shocked and disgusted expression.

"Fred!" She gasped, hoping he hadn't seen any of that.

"What the hell was that?"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"So go on then, what the hell was that?" Fred demanded angrily. He didn't know particularly why he was so angry with the girl, after all he had only just met her. He didn't know whether it was because she was trying to get gain the trust of his little brother's best friend who had had more than his fair share of hurt or because he was sort of jealous at the idea of her being with someone else.

"Look Fred, I don't know how much of that you heard," Ella started.

"Enough." He said bluntly waiting for an explanation.

"It's complicated, it's...it's..."She stammered, trying to find the right words.

"It's obviously the reason he brought you here, so he can still get laid while he's over here. So tell me, is that feisty resistance thing you were doing back there all part of the game to make him 'want' you, or is it..."

"IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT YOU IGNORANT GIT!" Ella yelled, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Well tell me what it is like then," Fred said softer, taken aback by the previously sweet, placid girl's, outburst.

"I told you this morning that I used to go to Beauxbatons but I hated it. I just couldn't stand being there anymore, and being the jumped up 14 year old I was, a month into the first term last year, I ran away." She started.

"And what does this have to do with..."

"Shut up and listen," She cut him off once again, "As I was saying, I went on the run but within a month or so I started to be quickly running out of money with the money I inherited still in Gringotts in this country. I basically ended up living on the streets, spending any money I could get my hands on by doing jobs here and there on food. One day in January, when I was living around the Germany Poland border area, I met Igor..sorry, Professor Karkaroff, outside a bar. He offered to buy me a warm drink and meal and after some talking I told him my situation and he offered me some money which I took and the minute he turned his back, I ran again, this time ending up getting on a muggle train to Denmark where I managed to find some work to keep me going. Around April time, things started to go downhill...a lot. Long story short I got involved with drugs and ended up on the street again and got into various run-ins with the muggle police."

"I had no idea," Fred Started.

"You wouldn't have, that's why I'm trying to explain. After about a month of living on the streets, I met Igor again. He said he recognised me straight away despite looking a hell of a lot worse than I had when I previously met him a few months previously because of my eyes. He invited me into his apartment in the city and offered me a meal and a bed for the night. Once he had learnt the state which I was in, he insisted I stayed in his apartment until I got back on my feet, even when he had to go back to work. He provided all my clothes and food and when I eventually told him of my age and flee from Beauxbatons, he offered to enroll me at his school. You will never probably how grateful I was to him. How much I felt I owed him. Then one night at the start of summer he suggested a way in which I could pay him back," She paused.

"I don't understand," Fred asked looking troubled.

"He...errr...he basically asked me for sex, Fred," She paused waiting for his reaction but all he could manage was to open his mouth a couple of times as if to say something, but both times it shut when it found no words were able to come out. "It kind of went on all summer, but when it came to the start of term, I made him promise it would stop. After all, he's my teacher now and I wanted a fresh start. However, he's kept an overly close eye on me since the minute we boarded the ship to come here. And last night...well he wasn't in the best of moods and he wanted me to go to bed with him," Fred raised his eyebrows disapprovingly at her, "you don't know what he's like. Yes he was very kind and generous to me, and for which I am eternally thankful but he's not a man to argue with when he's in a bad mood and I saw that a few times over summer as well. Not towards me! Today's to first time he's laid a hand on me but I've seen how he can make people pay for disobeying him."

"I think you need to tell Harry about this," Fred told her, "at least some of it. If you open up to him, it will allow him to trust you more."

"I'm sure he be thrilled to find out his sister that's just appeared out of no where was a washed up, junky tramp less than a year ago," She sneered.

"He's a good kid, he'll understand," Fred rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "and you should hear some of the havoc he's caused here since he joined."

"Oi, Freddie!" The boy's twin came waltzing around the corner, smirking when he saw his brother with a girl. "Sorry if I just ruined your came mate, but we need to go work on our aging potion,"

"Don't worry, Georgie. We were just talking. This is Ella, Harry's new sister," He introduced her.  
Ella offered her hand as a greeting but instead George just ruffled her hair laughing.

"Eee, look she could teach us some manners as well, Mum would be proud if you brought her home," George teased his brother and Ella, reaching to fake punch Ella's arm.

"Are you trying to get your arm taken off?" She chuckled, jokingly drawing her wand.  
"Careful mate, Harry's temper must be a genetic thing because it seems to run in the family," Fred warned his brother, sending a wink to the girl now standing opposite his brother and himself. After saying their goodbyes, the twins departed, leaving Elspeth awestruck about how easily she had told this boy that she had known for less than a day her history that she had tried so desperately to hide at her school.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The time had come for the revealing of the 3 champions. Ella had been meeting up with Harry everyday, much to Karkaroff's annoyance. She hadn't really spoken to Fred or George since she told Fred about the previous year, apart from odd words in passing. She assumed it had scared the boy off, which saddened her as she had allowed herself to trust the him in telling him things she had kept secret from even her best friend at Durmstrang, Viktor Krum. Ella had also taken Fred's advice in telling Harry about what Karkaroff had done for her and what it had lead to. Granted, Harry wasn't overly pleased about the way Igor imposed himself on his sister but it hadn't put him off. Both siblings were just pleased to finally have some family.

Everyone filed into the great hall, in their school groups. The air was thick with excitement and anticipation. Ella felt someone take a hold of her hand, giving it a quick squeeze before dropping it again.

"Viktor?" She looked up. He gave her a reassuring yet oddly guilty smile in response. "You did it didn't you?!" She exclaimed. "You put your name in that bloody goblet!"  
"Look, Ella..." He started apologetically.  
"Don't. I thought I told you not to put yourself in for this! You've already got all the money and glory one person could ever need, you're the best seeker in the world for fuck sake!"  
"Ella..."  
"This tournament is dangerous and down right barbaric at times. Can't you see? And what if you get picked? I can't watch one of my closest friends get himself killed!"  
"Ella!" He snapped, putting an abrupt end to the girls rant. "Karkaroff is making me, he vants us to vin."  
"Karkaroff?!" She scoffed. "What's he got on you?"

"I can't tell you,"  
"Why on earth not! I thought we were meant to be best friends, you know you can tell me anything,"

"What, just like you've told me about whatever Karkaroff has over you. I'm not stupid, I know 'e has zomething over you and he's using it to get you to do god knows what. I've zeen you skulking off to his cabin late at night. I 'eard ze way 'e talked to you after 'e dismissed me." Viktor finished. With that, the girl dropped the subject and the pair took their seats in silence.

The champions were drawn one by one. Cedric Diggory had been chosen to represent Hogwarts, Fleur Delacour for Beauxbatons and Viktor for Durmstrang. Ella's heart had dropped when she had heard her bestfriend's name come out the goblet but also partially relieved that it hadn't been hers. She had been sure Karkaroff had been up to something, trying desperately to get her name in that goblet; after all, her powers were renowned.

Just as the feast was about to kick off once more and chatting began to steadily rise, the goblet once again started spitting hissing before throwing a fourth and final piece of paper. The hall went silent.  
"Potter," Dumbledore mumbled in disbelief, "Potter!" He raised his voice much louder, causing many gasps among both students and staff.

Ella glanced nervously at her brother who mirrored her terrified expression.  
"For heavens sake Dumbledore, order the child to come out!" Barty Crouch ordered the headmaster impatiently.  
"The problem is though, Barty, is that I do not know which student it should be," Dumbledore explained in an eerily calm distress, "you see, Mr Potter's sister has joined up from Durmstrang this year," This caused another round of gasps from almost the entire hall aside from those who already knew.

"Very well then," Barty muttered thoughtfully, "Call them both out and we shall decide later."

This time it was Harry's turn to look over at his sibling. Her face echoed how he felt, which was a mixture shock and sheer terror. Catching each other's eye, they slowly stood up and made their way to the front of the hall.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Harry!" Ella hissed under her breath as the champions were ushered through to the next room, "Do not tell me you put your name in the goblet of fire!" Ella snapped.

"Of course I didn't, I've had enough of danger and drama at this school. I assumed it was meant to be you,"

The five champions were left to talk amongst themselves whilst the official judges, in addition to Barty Crouch Sr, discussed what to do about the situation at hand, in private. The siblings received cold stares the other champions. Krum marched over to the pair, staring threateningly my brother either," She retorted angrily. Just then, the door was swung in and the judges and teachers came filing b-lining straight for Harry, Igor grabbing his student, marching her with them, on his way.

"Did either of you enter your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore asked urgently.

"No

professor," Harry stammered whilst his sister nodded along.

" Did you ask one of the older students to so for you?" He snapped out his next question.  
"No," Both students replied in unison.  
"Very well," He said, now turning to the other adults, "Then how in the devil's name did they get drawn out? Whoever has entered you into this contest is not your friend," He said, once again turning back to the pair.

"But professor," Professor Snape interrupted, "how do we even know student was meant to be entered?"  
"Good point Severus, Barty?" The headmaster asked, turning to the official for his advice.

"There is nothing for us to do, what comes out the Goblet is final, and seen as the goblet was unspecified in this case, both Potters must compete...separately."  
"Thank heavens it wasn't the name 'weasely' that came out of the cup then, or we wouldn't be able to fit all the champions in one room," Professor Snape sneered.

"But sirs," Ella pleaded, ignoring Snape's snide comment, "Harry is only 14, he can't_possibly _compete! The others all have 3 years on him,"

"I'm sorry Elspeth,I feel the same way, but Barty's word is final." Professor Mcgonagall tried to calm the young distressed girl.

Once the briefing was over of what was to come for the now _five _champions, each individual involved went off to bed. Igor had a hand on one of each of his champions shoulders, escorting them back to the ship. Once they were on board the ship the Headmaster began to speak.  
"You both best get some rest but first I need a quick word with Miss Potter. Goodnight Krum," He tried to shake the protective quidditch player off. Ella shot her friend a pleading look, begging him not to leave, but it seemed he still believed she had put her own name in the goblet of fire as he turned on his heel and went to bed. "And as for you, well done tonight. Just make sure you don't embarrass me in the tasks," Igor continued, "And I hope that whole act of trying to stop your brother from having to compete was, in fact, just an act that, for your sake, was purely tactical."

Ella shook her head defiantly, furyous of how the man had absent-mindedly put her brother, her one remaining family member, in danger. "It was not! It is too dangerous for him, he is only a boy," She protested. Igor broke into a big smirk, cackling at her foolish audacity, bearing all his black, rotting teeth.

"Now, I would ask you to bed but I feel you won't really be in the mood tonight," And with that he turned and entered his cabin, leaving Ella stood, silently fuming in the hallway.


	3. The first task

**Thank you for the lovely reviews, I'll try to make my chapters a bit longer, I just like to update as reularly as I can and with GCSE exams coming up I'm not getting quite the time but I'll make the effort just for you guys :p so enjoy, and remember, reviews make the pen flow faster :)  
xoxo Charlotte **

Chapter 9

The weeks were passing quite quickly, everything remaining pretty much the same. Ella was still trying, unsuccessfully, to dodge her headmaster. Harry and herself were growing closer, trying to prepare for the first task together, with the help of Hermione. Ron was still mad at Harry for god knows what and Fred still seemed to avoiding most conversations with Ella.

Ella woke in her bed in the ship with a groan. She looked outside her window to discover it was barely light. Knowing she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep with the anticipation and fear of the first task that day, she got up and went for a walk around the lake. After a while, she heard the sound of footsteps other than her own. She looked up to see a worried looking Fred.

"I think you're starting to stalk me," Ella joked, trying to break the tension. Fred just looked at his feet and mumbled something. "Oh wait, sorry, you would have to talk to me to be stalking me," She snapped, her mood changing instantly. She put her recent mood swings down to stress.

"I'm...err..." Fred stuttered, unable to think of what to say next.

"How about I help you; you don't want to talk to me after you found out about last year and Igor. Fred I'm sorry if it's upset you, I just don't see why it should. I genuinely you and your twin were decent. I thought I might actually have some fun this year."

"Ella, I'm sorry. I haven't been ignoring you because of last year. In fact, I feel really guilty for assuming the worst of you when I overheard you and Igor."

"Then why were you?" She demanded.

"Because," He paused, "because you and Harry are getting on so well and I don't want to mess anything up between you," he stopped.

"What are you talking about Fred?"

"Never mind," and with that the twin turned on his heel and quickly strided off, leaving a very confused and frustrated Ella.

At breakfast, Harry saw his sister sitting alone, white with a look of sheer terror.

"You look about how I feel," Harry sat down opposite her.

"It's you I'm more scared for. Dragons aren't the most pleasant creatures even at the best of times."

"We'll be fine, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ella agreed.

The atmosphere in the champions tent was tense. They were gathered round Ludo Bagman, to reveal the beast of which each competitor would take on. Harry pulled out a hungarian horntail from the bag.

"Surely you can't let the youngest champion take on what is considered to be the most dangerous dragon ?!" Ella gasped before receiving a sharp elbow in the ribs from Karkaroff to silence her. She shook her head before stretching a trembling hand into the bag. There was only one dragon left. Gripping her fingers tight around it, she gasped she felt a pair of sharp jaws sink into her finger. She pulled it out quickly before throwing it at Karkaroff who was now stood over her.

"The Peruvian Vipertooth," Igor said letting out a low whistle.

"A dragon with a highly venomous bite," Dumbledore finished, looking greatly concerned.

"Right, good luck to all champions you will go according to the number hanging around your model dragon's neck. Meaning, Miss Potter, you will be going last."

Harry and Ella sat together, holding hands whilst the other champions took on their dragons one by one. Soon it was time for Harry's turn.  
"Promise me you'll be careful,"She said, tightly wrapping her arms around her brother.

"I promise," He replied before walking out of the tent, blanking everything out of his mind.

Elated by the positive commentary of Harry's task, Ella momentarily forgot her fear and angst. The whistle sounded, signalling for her to go out into the arena. The arena was full of shouting, cheering and taunting. All the sounds blurred into one big buzz. She looked around the arena and soon spotted the large creature. Despite being one of the smallest breeds of dragon the Vipertooth was quick, agile and intelligent, along with being one of the most vicious breeds known to wizards and witches a like. All of a sudden a loud bang wen of behind her. She snapped round to see what was the cause of the noise. Whilst she had her back turned, the dragon dived at the intruder, sending her flying clean through the air, leaving a large gash in her side where the creature's tail had collided with her, causing her the spectators to gasp. Ella groaned in pain, clutching her wand in one hand and her side with the other. The Dragon rose into the air, ready to attack the intruder once more.

"AVIS!" Ella yelled, pointing her wand towards the Dragon's head before ducking behind a large bolder. A large swarm of birds set to circling the dragon's head frantically, distracting the Dragon's attention from her planned attack. Ella ran towards the group of eggs only for the Dragon to hear her footsteps and come storming towards her once again. Ella sent a jet of light from her wand causing a load crash and bang in the opposite direction, stopping the Dragon in it's path. The Vipertooth headed to the location of the bang, in attempt to find the source of the disruption. Another loud crash was sounded after a flick of Ella's wand. Bang Bang Bang! Ella was sending jets of light randomly in any direction away from her. Taking the opportunity of the Dragon on a hunt in the wrong direction, Ella darted forward to scoop up the golden egg in her non wand hand. The crowd erupted into a wild applause from what had been a very tense, still silence.

With the adrenaline and fear dying down, Ella was all of a sudden, much more aware of the agonising pain in her side. Her legs went weak and began to tremble. The arena around her became blurry. She was only partially aware of the Dragon being loaded back into it's cage before her legs gave way and everything went black.


	4. Celebrations

**Took on board some of your comments, so here's my longest chapter yet :p so enjoy, and keep remembering to tell me what you think:) **

**xoxo Charlotte**

Chapter 10

"Ella!" She heard the fuzzy voice of her brother as he came charging into the arena whilst she was coming round.

"It's alright Mr Potter, we're taking your sister to the hospital tent now, where you can visit her. However if you don't mind we have to ask you to leave this arena," Dumbledore politely requested.

By the time Harry had made his way through the crowds of students to the hospital tent, Ella was sat up with a heavily bandaged waist.

"There you are, Mr Potter!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed in exasperation, "I thought I told you to stay in your bed,"

"But I couldn't she's my sister," He tried to explain, the adrenaline still pumping round his body.

"I'm fine, Harry, just hurts a little that's all," Ella tried to sooth her brother without much success. Ella looked up at the sound of the tent opening rustling to see the whole Weasley clan who were still at Hogwarts plus Hermione, entering. Their concerned faces all relaxed a little when they saw their friend's sister was sat up and talking. Ella shot a quick smile at Fred, which instantly made his ears turn the same shade as his hair. Oddly, the bandage around her waist exemplified the girl's slim frame with curves in all the right place, making Fred blush even more.

"How you feeling?" Fred asked walking over to Ella's side whilst the others were talking to Harry.

"I'll be fine, this should heal quite quickly with Madame Pomfrey's help," Ella smiled back, happy that the boy was no longer giving her the cold shoulder.

"Hey you!" George bounced over to his twin's side, beaming widely at the younger girl, "We're having a party in Gryffindor common room tonight, if you're game?"

"I'm game but how am I meant to get in?"

"We'll send your brother for you at 8 if you wait in the entrance, while we organise the booze," Fred winked, as his twin was wondering off to the rest of the group.  
"Won't he mind?" Ella questioned doubtfully.

"Are you kidding?! You're all we ever hear about anymore," Fred joked, "It's all: Ella this and Ella that. I'm almost sick of hearing your name," Fred teased. Ella play smacked his arm, unsuccessfully trying to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

"I hope you're going to get very drunk tonight," Ella joked.

"Of course I am! Is there any other way to celebrate," Fred replied with another wink.

The chatter of the tent abruptly died at the entry of another body. Ella looked up, heart sinking, to see her headmaster walking towards her, with a look of disgust and distaste on his face.

"Could everyone that is _not _a champion or injured please exit the tent as I would like to speak to my student and actually be able to hear what I am trying to say," Igor snapped unpleasantly. "Thank you," He said sarcastically as the visitors exchanged curious looks and exited the tent without speaking a word. "Now you," He continued, turning to Ella, "If it wasn't enough of an embarrassment for you to get so easily distracted in the ring like that-showing complete and utter weakness and vulnerability-I come in here to find you talking to one of those blood traitors," He spat.

"Someone tried to distract me!" Ella protested, "I think someone wanted me to get hurt. And as far as Fred Weasley, he was just asking how I was and I think it will do you well to remember that me, your precious school's 'secret weapon'," She spat mockingly, "is, after all, only a lowly half blood, when you start banging on about your precious pure blood and the filthy mudbloods and blood traitors."

"I knew letting you get to know your brother was a terrible idea," Karkaroff growled under his breath, inches away from the girl's ear, "It's given you ideas above your station. You need to remember that you're still a silly, ittle 15 year old slut, who would still be one the streets if it wasn't for me." He finished before turning and striding out of the tent.

Ella stood in the entrance hall waiting for her brother. Sure enough, he came, even if his reputation for always being a few minutes late for everything didn't fail him.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Harry yelled as he came charging towards her.

"You're pissed already aren't you?" Ella laughed at the sight of a slightly out of it Harry Potter.

"I'm not, I promise," Harry pleaded. She raised her eyebrow with a chuckle, "Ok, maybe I am a bit, but only a bit,"

"Okay, come on then little wreck head. As long as you can still remember the way and the password." The siblings walked to the common room together, laughing and talking. Harry stopped before entering the portrait hole.

"I know I'm slightly drunk, but in all honesty; I'm really glad you found me Ella. It feels like I've always known you. I don't want this year to end, I just wish you could stay here," Harry confessed soppily.

"Hahaha! Would love to see Karkaroff's face if I told him I was transferring to here," She laughed sourly, "But I'm glad I found you too Harry," She smiled before gesturing towards to common room, "now should we go in so I can get pissed as well," She teased, following her brother through the portrait hole.

Inside the common room, the party had already well and truly kicked off. Fred and George had done a good job. A lot of students who looked about Harry's age also looked as if they'd already had too much to drink. Ella put this down to their age and their probable lack of experience in the pass time. Suddenly, she felt someone pounce on her from behind, resting a large, sturdy hand on her shoulder.

"Oi! We thought you weren't gonna show," Fred joked.

"Would have helped if you hadn't sent me an escort that wasn't already hammered," She said, laughing when she remember the randomness of her brother's drunken ramblings on the way there.

"Bloody hell, he's not pissed already is he?!" George appeared at her other shoulder. Ella nodded, chuckling along to herself.

"Lightweight," They said together, sending the three of them into hysterics.

About an hour- and several drinks- later a rather drunk Hermione and Ginny came over to Ella, where she was sat on one of the sofas in front of the fire, talking to an equally pissed Ron and Harry.

"Come Ella, come and dance with us!" Ginny pleaded.

"Come on, we haven't seen you dance all night," Hermione added when the girl hesitated.

"Oh alright then," She laughed, stumbling when she got up. Within a few songs, Ella had gotten into the whole dancing thing, dancing with half of the gryffindor house; including a little first year boy who had been adamant he wasn't tired and didn't want to go to bed and miss the fun.

"I think you should go and dance over there," Ginny teased the older girl, pointing over to a table top in the centre of the room.

"A no no no no," Ella laughed.

"Oh go on, don't tell me you have no balls," Ginny wound her up, "I always thought you were the type to have fun and let your hair down,"

"You know what then Gin; I'm going to fucking do it then," She laughed, throwing her head around a bit, purposely flicking her hair into the young wind up merchant's face. Sure enough, Ella got up onto table, kicking off the empty bottles and glasses, and began to dance, progressively flirtatiously. Soon, all the eyes in the room were on her and everybody was clapping and cheering. When it came to the end of the song, Ella took a mock bow as everyone cheered even louder. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her wrist, pulling her off of the table and onto a pair of lips. A round of wolf whistles broke out around the room. She pulled away to find out who she was actually kissing. Her stomach did a somersault when she saw the tall ginger mop head that was Fred Weasley peering down at her with a huge grin on his face. She placed a hand either side of his head and pulled his face back down to hers and caught his lips with hers. As the kiss deepened, laughing and cheering broke out around the room. They broke the kiss, both laughing at the reaction of the crowd. Fred bent down and whispered in her ear.

"Come on, let's go outside,"


	5. The morning after the night before

**Heyy, sorry this will be my only post for the weekend as I'm going on my Duke of Edinburgh overnight expedition all weekend (and it's forecast for torrential rain and thunder storms, eeeekk) but keep reading and reviewing :)**

**xoxo Charlotte**

Chapter 11

Fred ducked through the portrait hole, with Ella following, holding his hand. As soon as they rounded the corner, and there was no other students in sight, Fred pressed Ella against the wall and leant in to kiss her. The kiss started off slow and careful. Ella ran her hands through his long ginger hair. As the kiss deepened, the pace also began to increase, any caution quickly fading. She moaned softly into his mouth as he ran his hands over her voluptuous figure. He parted their lips and placed soft kisses down her neck, making Ella feel as though her knees were about to buckle, before returning to her lips to kiss her passionately again.

"Go on lad!" Ella and Fred looked up to see George leaning on the wall, a girl Ella recognised to be Alicia Spinnet by side, wearing a huge devilish grin. "Oh, sorry. Don't let us interrupt," George said, walking away with Alicia in tow, knowing full well that that was exactly what he had just done.

"Sorry about that," Fred laughed before resuming his position, leaning over the girl and went to kiss her again.

"We should probably go back inside," Ella hesitated, putting two fingers to the boys lips.

"I suppose," He grumbled, backing off.

"I'm sorry, I just feel bad leaving all those drunken kids in there," She joked, prodding Fred in his broad, hard chest.

Back in the common room, things were starting to die down. A lot of the students were making their way up to bed if they weren't already there, whilst others were either dancing calmly to the now slower and quieter music, off around the school finding a 'quiet' place with someone they had hooked up with or even throwing up out of the window.

"Tell me if you see Harry anywhere," Ella said, turning to Fred.

"I will," He hesitated, "Where you sleeping tonight?" Fred asked, glancing at his watch. "Karkaroff will kill you if he sees you coming back this late,"

"What time is it like?" Ella asked

"11:30," Fred replied.

"Shit! Is it really? How the hell did it get that late?!" She demanded.

"Maybe it was all those people you decided you needed to dance with," Fred said, creasing up laughing at the memory of the girl twirling the 12 year old boy round.

"Fuck!" She cursed again before collapsing on the sofa in front of the fire, "Igor was expecting me at his room half an hour ago!" She moaned, the room spinning increasingly so.

"You know what you need to do?" Fred plonked himself down next to her, the alcohol obviously still taking effect on him also, "You need to tell the wanker to piss off and leave you alone,"

"Bahahaha!" Ella burst out laughing, "I think he would die with shock! You know what, Fred?"

"What?" He replied, still chuckling himself at the thought of the stern, vicious headmaster's face if his prize possession told him where to stick it.

"I think I might. I mean, how long do I really need to be grateful for?"

"Exactly!" Fred shouted, causing the girl to laugh.

"I still can't get around him seeing me get back to the ship this late," She complained.

"Sleep in here,?"

"What on the floor?" She laughed, "I think I'll take the wrath of Igor, my side still hurts too much to crash anywhere,"

"Not the floor idiot," Fred replied, "My room!" Ella shot him a quizzical look, raising her eyebrows. "Noooo, not in _that _way," He tried to recover his proposition, "I know exactly where George is taking Alicia and I very much doubt they'll be back tonight if you know what I mean," Fred shot the girl a wink, causing her to laugh before letting out a deep sigh and resting her head on his shoulder. "You may as well have George's bed, lee won't mind you sharing a room with us. That's if he's even around, probably hooked up with someone,"

"Thanks Fred," Ella said, sitting up so she was able to kiss the boy's cheek, "Game for a few more dances before bed?"

"Always game," Fred replied.

"Bloody hell Fred, you don't waste any time in replacing me, do you?" George came bursting into the room, bright and early as if he hadn't had a drop of alcohol the night before.

"Join me and be quiet or shut up and get out," Ella groaned, rolling over, clutching her pillow over her head to try and soothe her banging head.

"That's my decision made for me then," George bounced over to his bed, kicking off his shoes and about to climb in next to the girl.

"You would be so lucky, top to tail idiot," Ella snapped. She really was never a morning person. With a groan about how girls ruled him even in his own bed, George moved to the bottom of the bed and clambered in.

"How on earth are you so fresh after being pissed last night?" Lee questioned, also sounding much more groggy and hungover than his friend.

"Drunken sex mate, does wonders," George winked at his brother and his friend before receiving a sharp kick from his current bed occupant. "OW!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry, I have strong reflexes to arse holes," Ella joked before rolling over, making sure to put her feet right in George's face.

"Bloody brilliant!"

At breakfast, the whole Gryffindor house that was above the age of 14, looked like they wanted to vomit into their breakfast bowls. Ella had chosen to sit between her brother and Fred; who refused to leave her side until Karkaroff had confronted her about where she had been the previous night. He claimed he couldn't risk the 'dickhead' slapping her again.

Fred had come to care quite dearly for Harry's older sister. She understood him and made him laugh at the same time. His heart melted every time she smiled at him and he couldn't help but notice the way her hair was shifting from it's natural summery blonde highlights, to a colour much similar to Harry's but with still with a tint of her mother's ginger. Fred realised this was probably the first time he had ever taken any notice of a change in a girl's hairstyle. Even when he had dated Angelina the previous year, he could never tell if she did something different with her hair- including the time when she had got it cut from her past her boobs to above her shoulders.

Soon, Fred noticed Karkaroff striding down the hall towards them. He must have spotted his star pupil and figured out where she had been all night.

"Look!" Fred nudged Ella in a warning.

"Shit," She muttered under her breath, "Thanks," She shot him a warm smile.

"If he pulls you out to talk to you 'privately', I'll follow you to make sure he doesn't lose his temper, don't worry," Fred reassured her, placing his hand over hers that was resting on the table, giving it a quick squeeze before removing it in case of the girl's, already angered, headmaster seeing.

"Elspeth, a word." Karkaroff said bluntly once he had reached the table. It was clear he was furious. He never used her full name unless he was taunting her or she was in serious trouble.

"Errr..." She stammered, trying desperately to think of an excuse as to why she could not.

"NOW!" He demanded in a sudden shout, glaring around the table, holding his stare longer on the boys either side of an attempt to keep what little of his temper he had left, Ella stood up and followed him without arguing.


	6. Anger, flames and rivalry

Chapter 12

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Fred mumbled to the others before leaving his untouched breakfast and heading towards the exit where his friend and her headmaster had just disappeared through.

"Am I missing something?" Harry asked the group around the table, all of whom shrugged. Apart from George that is.

"Well, he might well kill me for telling you this," Gorge said, lowering his voice, "but I walked out of the common room last to find your big sis up against a wall with our little Freddie," He laughed as everyone's faces dropped around them.

"Are you serious?!" Ron gawped.

"Of course I'm serious little brother. She was even in my room when I came in this morning," George was now nearly doubling over in laughter at the younger student's expressions.

"WHAT?!" Harry bellowed before lowering his voice and continuing, "I'm sorry guys, but if Fred's just using her, I swear down I'll..."

"Calm down kiddo," George cut him off, "She was fast asleep in my bed while Fred was in his own.

"Oh, sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Fred had been following the sound of footsteps through the castle to try and find Ella and Karkaroff. He grinded to a halt when he heard voices and realised the pair were only around the corner. He poked his head round the wall to see the young girl with her back to her headmaster. Even from behind, Fred could Ella was furious by the way she was trembling.

"I told you that I was with my brother last night," Ella spat, spinning round to face older man.

"And I told _you,_" He spat back, "that I don't believe you,"

"Well that's just too bad," Ella shot back

"I thought I had already spoke to you about watching your tone!" Karkaroff hissed in the girl's face.

"You know what, I'm done," Ella declared at the top of her voice.

"Keep your voice down you foolish girl! What are you even talking about?"

"I'm done with this," She said simply gesturing to him then herself, "all of it. I'm done with you telling me when and where you want me and me just simply complying. I'm done with being your dirty little skank to satisfy you just to for you to throw me away until the following night and most of all I'm done with you...period,"

Fred held his breath, waiting for the explosion. Instead Karkaroff dropped his grip on the girl's arm and stood back speechless. Ella too was holding her breath in suspense. Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn't reacted, just merely stood and stared at her, he quickly raised his hand and struck her across the face.

"Silly cow!" He spat before turning on his heel and striding away.

"Ella!" Fred yelled, running to the girl who was holding her face, from his previous concealment behind the wall. "Fuck, Ella," He stated, startled by the growing red mark on her cheek. "I'm so so sorry. I said I would stop him and I didn't, I just stood and watched. I thought he was just going to walk off after that long. Honestly, I'm so sorry,"

"shhh, Fred," Ella spoke softly, removing the hand from her face and pressing it lightly against his lips.

"I'm proud of you, though," Fred whispered softly in her ear, "for finally standing up to him," He started to kiss a path down her neck. She momentarily relaxed into him before pulling away with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Fred. I just value our friendship and mine and Harry's relationship too much." She started in an apologetic tone. "Plus, everything is just too complicated with Igor at the minute, I've still got to put up with him as a teacher if nothing else,"

"Say no more, I understand," Fred replied, giving the girl's arm a friendly and encouraging squeeze."Come on," He nodded his head towards the stairs, "At least relax in the common room until that mark goes down." Ella nodded slowly before following the tall, ginger boy.

Ella lounged in front of the fire, warming herself up from the cold november frost. Fred was sat next to her, also enjoying the warmth and comfort the fire provided him with. The pair chatted, laughed and shared stories until they were disturbed by another presence entering the room. George greeted the pair enthusiastically before joining them.

"Wondered where you two had disappeared off to. I thought you might be carrying on from where you left off last night," He teased them, throwing Ella a quick wink. George suddenly noticed the hand shaped mark on the side of her face, "Merlin's beard Ella, what the hell happened?! Don't tell me it was that moody headmaster of yours," He fumed.

"Well..." She started hesitantly.

"My god, you have to tell someone!" George demanded. Ella just looked to Fred for help.

"We had an idea," Fred interrupted his brother, "Telling on Igor would be a last resort as it would bring around public humiliation for Ella and god only knows what Igor would do then, but as I had we had an idea,"

"Well what's this grand idea then?" George enquired, curious about his twin's rare seriousness.

"I want to transfer to Hogwarts," Ella stated plainly.

"Is he really that bad?" George asked, completely unaware of the relationship between the student and her headmaster.

"He really is," Fred answered for her when he saw the tears brewing in her eyes.


	7. Don't take no for an answer

Chapter 13

"So did you do it?" George asked his twin eagerly the minute Ella had left the room to use the toilet.

"What?" Fred asked in reply.

"Did you ask Ella to that Yule ball thing next month?" George paused at the blank look on his twin's face. "You know that ball and you were planning to tell Ella that you liked her and wanted to go to the dance with her and..."

"I remember," Fred interrupted bluntly, "She just made it clear downstairs that she wasn't interested in being anything more than friends,"

"Oh, did she say why?"

"Trust me, things are just complicated, far more than you would imagine.

The days passed quickly, shortly turning into weeks. Harry had been growing ever closer to his sister and both finally felt like they belonged to a family they could call their own. Ella had even received a letter of Sirius, Harry's godfather, which read:

_Dear Ella,_

_I knew you would turn up soon enough. I am glad you and Harry seem to be getting on so well from what Harry's told me. He also told me that you too have been dragged into entering this tournament too and that you did exceptionally well in the first task and you're tying for first place with your brother. Your parents would be so proud if they could see you both now. And from what I hear you're also doing your Dad proud in carrying on his legend of being the life and sole of the party. It would be lovely to hear or see from you soon, after all you were just learning how to talk last time I saw you, _

_Lots of love, Padfoot_

Though the letter was quite short, it was indeed very sweet. After all, from what she had heard, Sirius wasn't a man of many words, just many pranks. It made her smile the think of her father running around causing trouble, a certain talent her and her brother seemed to have undoubtedly inherited. Ella sat down to write a reply immediately

.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_It's been amazing getting to know Harry. I just wish I could have been there for him more when he was younger. I would love to meet up some time and you could tell me more about what my Dad used to get up to in his school days. The tasks are hard and I'm still no where near finding out any clues on the next task but I suppose it's just going to take time, I just can't help worrying for Harry's sake._

_Lots of love, Ella_

Life for Ella had really began to pick up. She had managed to establish a good set of friends in the gryffindor house, always being able to rely on George, Fred and Lee Jordan to cheer her up if she was feeling low, along with Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell who were always up for a girly heart to heart which she had sorely missed during her stay on the ship. She was spending most nights bunking either on the floor of Viktor's room or going top to tail with him in either one of their beds in order to avoid facing Karkaroff's recent, constant fury and wrath.

Igor, on the other hand, was refusing to give up on his little play toy, which he had become so fond of messing around with. That was until she had started to gain an attitude, but he was nothing if he wasn't up for a challenge, which Ella was certainly proving to start to be. One night,he spied the younger girl walking onto the ship alone and waited a few minutes before entering her cabin.

"Igor, what are you doing here?" Ella asked, slightly startled by his sudden appearance. He said nothing, just continued to advance towards her wearing his revolting smug, dirty grin. "I told you THIS had to stop, now stop,"

Karkaroff just laughed at the slight tremor in her voice.

"Tut tut tut, someone needs a bit of a lesson in hierarchy I think," He cackled maliciously.

"I'm a student and you're my teacher, you need a lesson in what's appropriate, because this- you turning up in my room like this- certainly isn't!" She spat out with a new found courage which she wasn't sure where she had gotten from. The smile that had previously been occupying Igor's face had now vanished. "You just manipulate and twist people because you know if you don't they'll just walk away, like I'm trying to do," Ella couldn't help herself from saying. She was physically shaking with anger. She knew she had pushed him too far the second those words had slipped out of her mouth, but it was too late.

"You stupid cow" He growled before grabbing both her wrists and slamming her against the wall that she had been backing away towards. "You seem to have forgotten part of the reason why I brought you here, but don't worry, that's fixed easily enough."

He released her wrists before instantly using one of his forearms to roughly pin her to the wall by her shoulders. He started to grab at and tear the feisty girl's top from her, ignoring her protests.

"Get off me!" Ella bellowed, trying desperately to elbow the horrid man off of her, all too aware of the tears now streaming down her face.

"You will do as you are told for once!" He snapped, his voice shaking in an uncontrollable rage. He started trying her kiss her fiercely but she kept turning her head to the side, determined not to show any sign of affection to the man, which angered him further.

Karkaroff let out a low harsh laugh as he successfully managed to remove her top, leaving her stood in her deep turquoise, lace bra

"STOP!" She yelled at the top of her voice, uncaring whether she sounded her panic or not. "STOP! STOP! STOP!" She yelled repeatedly. All of a sudden there was a loud banging at the door. Karkaroff stopped his attempts of kissing her and roughly shoved his hand over her mouth to muffle her yells.

"Will you be quiet!" He hissed in a hushed voice in her ear, "They'll go away,"

"Ella, I know you're in there and I'm not leaving until you open this door!" Viktors boomed over his loud bangs against the locked door. Noticing, Karkaroff had released his hold on her slightly due to the distraction, Ella swiftly swung her left knee directly into her headmaster's balls.

"Argghh, you stupid bitch!" He snapped, gasping in pain. She took the opportunity to grab the dressing gown,which was lying on her bed from earlier, using it to cover herself, before unlocking and opening the door.

"I heard you shout, are you alright?" Viktor asked, seeing the tears still pouring down his best friend's face.

"I'm fi..." She started before she was cut off by Viktor storming into her room and grabbing the headmaster who was picking himself up off of the floor. With one clean swing, Viktor hit him square in the jaw, producing a satisfying crack.

"You EVER touch her again, I will personally kill you!" He growled, fearsome enough even to shake the spiteful, vicious headmaster."Understand?" Viktor bellowed at the man. In response, Igor stood up suddenly, shoving his student.

"BOTH of you need to learn some respect," He spat before storming out.

Viktor turned back to Ella, who had now wrapped the dressing gown around herself properly. He strode up to her and clutched her a large embrace.

"Get dressed and go for a walk," He commanded, "It will do you no good to go straight to bed in this state," He finished before also turning and walking out of the room.

Ella slipped an old, oversized jumper, that used to be Viktor's, on. She straightened out her leggings and slipped on a pair of tattered old plimsolls. She did as Viktor had advised and went for a walk around the lake. Half way round, she spotted a familiar ginger mop head, leaning against a tree.

"Fred?" She asked timidly, walking up to him before sitting down beside him.

He glanced over at her and offered her a small, sweet smile, most unlike his normal large and blatantly mischievous one. His smile quickly faded when he noticed the girl's eyes were red and puffy and that there were tear tracks running down her delicate skin on her face.

"What's happened?" He asked, deeply concerned.

"It's a long story," Ella tried to shrug it off.

"Good job I've got a lot of time," He replied.

"Igor..." She started but suddenly the rest of her words got stuck in her throat.

"He what? What did the dirty bastard do to you," Freds temper instatnly rising.

"He tried to force me to..." She broke off in sobs, tears once again streaming down her face.

"Don't worry, I understand." Fred reassured her, his temper suddenly vanishing and was replaced by a sharp pang in his chest from seeing the usually tough, cheerful girl cry. He pulled her in close to him, so her head was resting against her sturdy chest. "Don't worry, he won't be getting away with it."

He sat stroking her hair while she nuzzled further into the comfort and safety of his chest, long after she had stopped crying. After about an hour, Fred put two fingers under the girls chin and tilted her face up so she was looking directly at him. She looked a lot calmer now, but none the less was still very upset and fragile.

"Come on, it's nearly pitch black," He said, and he was right. It had already been dusk when Ella had left the ship. He got up, offering a hand to the girl. "You're sleeping in my bed and I'll sleep on the floor next to you in case you need anything. Okay?" Ella nodded before accepting his hand and stumbled to her feet. Fred wrapped his arm around her waist on their way back up to the castle as though she was injured and needed support.

Once they were in the bedroom, the other two boys whom Fred shared a room with had already turned in for the night. Ella slipped into the safety and warm comfort of Fred's bed, not bothering to change due to her sheer exhaustion. Fred tucked the sheets in around her before kissing her lightly on the head.

"Thanks," Ella whispered graciously, "for everything," she offered a small smile, which was the first since the incident earlier that evening.

"It's fine," He smiled back, winking at her, causing her to chuckle softly. And with that Fred set up his bed for the night on the floor grabbing his spare bedding from under his bed which he kept for incase of emergencies (like an especially cold winter's night).

"Night," He murmured quietly, but all he got in reply was the sound of Ella's deep breaths as her chest rose and fell in a dreamless sleep.


	8. From Friends to Foes and back again

Chapter 14

It was now early December and the yule ball was merely weeks away. Ella had been asked by a few different boys, one from hogwarts and two from Durmstrang but she turned them down as she decided she wasn't really in the celebrating or romance mood. On the upside, Karkaroff had pretty much avoided Ella as much as he could after the night in her room.

It was a weekend where the Hogwarts students in third year or above were allowed to go Hogsmeade. Harry was on his way through the entrance hall when he spotted his sister alone, reading a copy of intermediate potions, sat on one of the steps into the courtyard.

"Ella!" Harry greeted his sister, running up to her.

"Oh hey Harry," She gave him a genuine smile.

"What are you doing now?" He asked her eagerly. "Apart from reading that," He eyed the book, disgusted at the thought of doing work on a weekend this close to the end of term.

"Ahaha," She laughed at her brother's hatred for anything to do with potions or his most hated teacher, Professor Snape, whom she had heard a lot about, all of which was negative. "Nothing then I suppose," She answered, tossing the book to her side.

"Great, so you can come to Hogsmeade with us then?" He asked hopefully, glancing back at Ron and Hermione who were stood behind him.

"Yeah sure, if that's alright with you two," Ella gestured towards her brother's friends.

"Yeah of course," Hermione answered instantly. She had taken a strong liking to her bestfriend's sister. Ron nodded in agreement.

The four of the set off walking towards the village in the light snow. They spent most the journey talking and laughing, before the subject of the Yule ball cropped up.

"I can't believe we _still _haven't got dates yet," Ron groaned to Harry at the thought of having to pluck up the courage to actually ask a girl to go with him.

"Urghh I know, I'd rather get past another dragon before embarrassing myself again. Cho already having a date was humiliating enough and that was relatively private," Harry replied, "So, are you going to reveal who you're going with then Ella seen as Hermione's made it perfectly clear she won't tell us who she's going with," He shot a teasing smile over to his best friend.

"Let me guess, Fred?" Ron asked laughing. "The bloody lad's beside himself," Ella just laughed.

"No, I'm not going with anyone. Infact I'm not sure I want to go at all." She said.

"What! No one's asked you?" Ron asked in disbelief, "Not even Fred?!"

"Ahaha, no three boys have, I'm just not in the romance mood to be honest," She admitted, "And to answer your earlier question Ronald, your brother hasn't asked me, we're just good friends. Infact, Angelina told me she was going with him last night,"

"Oh..." Ron trailed away awkwardly.

"I think I agree with you there," Harry said to his sister, changing the topic quickly, "I really can't be bothered with any relationship stuff while I'm trying to get through this bloody tournament alive. Hey, I've got an idea," Harry exclaimed.

"Oh god," Ella rolled her eyes and laughed, "Go on then,"  
"Well seen as neither of us can really be arsed with dates but we both have to go with someone because we're champions, how about we go together as brother and sister?"

"Harry, that's brilliant!" Ella squealed and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. "I cannot tell you how much I've been dreading finding a date. Oh that's taken a huge weight off of my shoulders," She let out a sigh of relief before releasing her brother.

The golden trio showed Ella round Hogsmeade, stopping first at honeydukes. They then headed off to Zonko's joke shop, where they bumped into Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie.

"Now then stranger!" George came up behind the four, ruffling Ella's hair. "Have you been avoiding us? I've barely seen you since I woke up to find you in my twin's bed," He laughing loudly at the reaction he caused from the rest of the group, earning himself a sharp elbow in the ribs from his twin. Ella and Fred both went beatroot red whilst the others all gasped in disbelief. Apart from Harry that is.

"You what?! Don't tell me you slept with him and he hasn't even asked you to the Yule Ball?!" He huffed angrily.

"No, no Harry. You've misunderstood. I was in Fred's bed and he was on the floor next to me, nothing of that sort went on. Me and Fred are just good friends."

Harry just huffed dismissively, "This has a happened a couple too many times now for nothing at all to be going on,"

"Well there's not," Ella said defensively, "Is there Fred?"

"No," He said, looking at his feet, "nothing."

"Ella, you want to come with us for a bit?" George asked, jumping in, saving his twin from further embarrassment.

"Yeah sure," She agreed half doubtfully. It was true, she had been avoiding the twins (mainly Fred) since she told him about what happened with Igor. Honestly, she was embarrassed at her weakness that night and hated that pitying look he had in his eye when he looked at her. "I'll meet you at tea?" She said, turning to Harry who nodded before heading off with his friends.

"So are you going to tell us why you really have been avoiding us?" George teased Ella, picking her up by her legs and running round with her over his shoulders like a fireman, except he just looked like a mad one.

"Put me down," Ella finally managed to get out through her laughter.

"Ok," He replied, instantly dropping her, so she stumbled, nearly face planting the snow. Ella gave him what the others described as her disapproving Hermione scowl.

"And I haven't been avoiding you, I've just been busy trying to work out this next task."

"Having any luck?" Angelina asked.

"No, it just makes this high pitched screeching noise every time I open it."

"How's your side where the dragon got you?" Fred asked

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that. How is it?" George chimed in.

"Madame Pomfrey did a good job on it. It's healed quite well, but it will probably leave a mark. Look," Ella said pulling up her top the reveal the remains of what had once been a deep gash. It had mostly healed over now, but still looked quite red and sore.

The group decided to make their way to the Three Broomsticks for a round of butterbeer.

"I need to quickly dash to the owl place Harry was talking about," Ella said, remembering that she still had to send Sirius her reply to his letter enquiring about Igor and whether she knew if he was still partaking in dark activities. "Do any of you know where it is?"

"I'll show you, I need to send a letter to mum anyway and our crappy excuse of an owl is on it's last legs now," Fred offered.

"Awh thanks," Ella smiled graciously, "We won't be long, meet the rest of you in the three broomsticks then?" The others all nodded simultaneously before turning towards the inn.

The pair walked to the owlery in an uncomfortable silence, until Fred pulled her down the side of one of the buildings, off of the main road filled with people.

"I know you have been purposely avoiding me, admit. I just can't understand why?" Fred demanded, slightly annoyed at the girl's dishonesty.

"Fred, I'm sorry it's just..."

"Just what? That you've worked things out with Igor and you've gone running back to him?" He snapped in a sudden, unexplained fury. Ella's face dropped at this comment before she smacked hard on the arm, tears now streaming down her face.

"How could you?!" She screamed, close to hysterical. "You KNOW what happened that night. That's why I've been avoiding you. I couldn't face seeing you. I was too embarrassed and couldn't bare the pity," She said less hysterically but still in tears.

"What pity?" He asked, all anger vanishing and being replaced with remorse, seeing how upset he had made her.

"That look in your eye. It's only because you care but that's what makes it all the harder and honestly; it scares me. How many people do think genuinely care about you in an orphanage? I'll tell now that it's not many at all. Before coming here, Viktor was the only one to ever show any interest in my well being, and even he doesn't care like all of you do," She wept.

Fred scooped her into a warm hug. "I'm so sorry Ella, you know I didn't mean it," He kissed her on the head. She raised her head to look at the boy. He leant down to kiss her, only for her to pull away.

"You've _just _asked Angelina to the ball," Ella hesitated.

"Actually she asked me," Fred retorted only to receive a raised eyebrow from Ella, "and I only accepted because I knew you wouldn't be up for anything remotely romantic after Igor and I couldn't go alone. I've got a reputation as the school stud to uphold," He joked.

"Still," Ella said, laughing at the boy's high opinion of himself, "I think Angelina actually likes you for some wild bizarre reason,£so I'm not going to hurt her over some boy,"

"Even if that boy was me?" Fred asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Yes, especially if that boy's name Fred Weasley," She teased the older boy before walked back to the main road. "So you gonna show me this shop or what? The others are going to get suspicious if we're gone much longer."


	9. Let it snow, Let it snow, let it snow

**Hi hi, sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I went to London over the weekend(I'm a northerner so it's a long trip for me) so I didn't have time to write anything. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and private messages :) hope you enjoy and remember to keep reviewing :3 **

**xoxo Charlotte**

Chapter 15

It was now Christmas Eve and the days had become much more enjoyable for Ella. She was meeting up with her brother almost everyday for dance practices after he had confessed to her what a terrible dancer he was. And he had, literally, been painfully right. Ella's feet were bruised and swollen from all the times her brother had trodden clumsily on them. However, slowly, but surely, as the weeks progressed, so had he. Both siblings were really enjoying this time they spent alone, getting to know one another, and both now felt as if they had known the other for their whole life.

The twins were sat in the cosy yet ridiculously messy room which they shared with their best friend, Lee Jordan.

"Still can't believe you didn't pluck the courage to ask Ella to the ball tomorrow," George mocked his brother, "she's obviously into you and..."

"and you fancy the pants of Angelina," Fred cut his brother off, chuckling. George just went red. "Admit it. You fancy her, don't you?"

"Well, maybe a bit. I mean...she's hot, there's no denying that. And I suppose she's quite funny as well," George trailed off into a bit of a haze.

"HA! I knew it!" Fred exclaimed triumphantly. George just punched him in the arm playfully.

"So when you gonna make your move on her?" George asked, quickly diverting the subject from his own lustings.

"You what?"

"Ella. When are you going to snog her senseless,"

Fred put on a look of faked shock at his brother's crudeness. "If you can't remember, we have snogged before and I have tried to kiss her since and yet she still doesn't seem to see me as anything more than a friend," Fred ranted, exasperated at the situation and his brother's persistence..

"You just need to give her a chance. Find a way of getting her away from school for a bit and just make her laugh and wind her up constantly,"

Fred just rolled his eyes before saying, "So, where could I go to get away from this place?"

"Well, seen as we're going home after christmas, for new year, how about we ask mum if we can make it a big family thing and tell her we've got a surprise person for her to meet and tell Harry to bring his sister." George rounded off triumphantly.

"But since when have I ever take girl advice from you?" Fred laughed.

"Since it's been over 3 months since you last got laid and I've shagged four in two months. You're just going to have to watch and learn my brother," George laughed, before slapping his brother on the back and heaving himself off of the floor where he had been sat with his twin. "And if you don't mind, I'm going to go and flirt more with your date for tomorrow."

Ella woke up to the sweet melody of singing birds outside the ship, dancing merrily around in the still peaceful morning. She allowed her eyes to drop shut once again, sinking further into her suddenly much more welcoming, bed, before snapping her eyes open with a gasp, realising what day it was. It was christmas day and she had completely forgotten.

She jumped up out of bed, scrambling around for a pair of loose, comfy tracksuit bottoms to slip on under her over-sized shirt of Viktor's, which she always wore to bed. She pulled on her large fully socks before cramming her feet into her large snow boots. She then grabbed the bag filled with presents and set off out of her room and towards the castle.

Ella was hoping she had got out early enough not to run into her headmaster, or any of her Durmstrang peers really, as the sky was barely lit. However, she had no such fortune.

"And where are you going Miss Potter?" Karkaroff spat mockingly at the younger girl as she came hurtling down the hallway carrying a small sack of presents as though she thought she was some sort of Santa Claus equivalent.

"I'm going to see my brother and you can't really stop me," Ella spat back in reply. Nothing or no one was going to ruin her mood. She hurtled around another corner to run directly into the large, stocky Quidditch player.

"What's got you in such a hurry?" Viktor asked, amused.

"I'm going to go see my brother. Can you believe that I actually have a family to spend this christmas with?!" Ella exclaimed, her excitement bringing her close to tears.

"Well, you have a brother," He laughed, "But if that is enough for you, it is enough for me as long as you still come to see me."

"Of course I will!" She said half shocked at the thought. "You came to see me and kept me company last summer," She indicated that she was referring to the time she spent in Igor's flat by nodding her head vigorously backwards, vaguely to where the older man had been standing.

"Right, I'm going to let you go now before you go crazy on me," He joked. It seemed that Christmas could even put the most sullen of international quidditch players in a good mood.

"Oh wait," Ella shouted, giving Viktor a shock, before turning on her heel running straight towards him, "I forgot to give you these," She pulled out two delicately small boxes, wrapped in a majestic burgundy red complete with a gold ribbon, pulled into a tight neat bow on the top, from her sack.

"This one," She said, handing him the slightly larger of the two boxes, "Is for you," Viktor smiled and received the gift graciously. "And this one," Ella said handing the second of the boxes, "Is for you to give to Hermione,"

"Wha...what?" He stammered, caught off guard.

"I'm not stupid, I know you two are going to the ball tonight, together. Even if no one else does."

"Oh right..." He said, unsure of how to respond to this thoughtful gift. He gave her a grateful smile and a big hug hoping it would substitute sufficiently for his lack of words.

"I really should be going now," She said, finally coming out of the hug, "I'll see you later and have a nice christmas."

Ella dashed up the various moving stairways towards the gryffindor common room, a route she knew quite well by now.

"Fairy lights," She gave the particularly festive password which her brother had told her so she didn't have to be collected like a little child every time she wanted to see him. The castle had incredible decorations for the festive season. Harry had told her that it was much more so than normal and that he had thought that the teachers were wanting to impress the other schools. The portrait swung open, allowing Ella to climb through to the common room. It seemed that the inhabitants of the ship must rise a lot earlier than those of Hogwarts. The common room was practically deserted which was extremely odd considering the majority of the 4th years and above had stayed at school over christmas for the yule ball later that day. She quickly pranced up the stairs towards the boys dormitory to see her brother. It then occurred to her that she didn't actually know which room exactly her brother slept in as she had never been in it, she had only ever been in the twin's and lee's room before.

Sheepishly, she knocked on the door before pushing it open, creaking noisily.

"Merlin's beard, we can't seem to keep you away," George laughed. To Ella's relief the boys looked as though they had been awake before she had knocked but by the state of them and the fact that they were all still lying or half sitting up in bed, they hadn't been awake long.

"Sorry, I meant to come see my brother but then I realised I don't actually know which room's his," She replied, rubbing the back of her neck out of embarrassment.

"We'll show you in a minute, just let us wake up a bit more first," Fred said, peering up at her through half closed eyes, "come sit with us," he added, indicating to the end of his bed with his foot. Ella obliged and flung herself down on Fred's bed, not caring how 'unladylike' she looked. Her professors at Beauxbatons used to constantly complain about how unlike a lady she was, and it drove her round the bend.

"We were just discussing lee's latest lays," George said bluntly. The boys waited for her to pull a face of disgust. However, she just threw her head back and laughed.

"So go on then Lee, who's your latest shag and how recent is it?" Ella said joining much to the boys surprise.

"Oh, are you not going to give us a lecture on how we should treat you girls better and how we shouldn't talk about yous in that way?" Lee asked half expecting it to be a trap.

"No,not at all. What you lads don't realise is that us girls tell each other about our shags aswell so not only do we find out who but we also find out whether they were shit or not," She burst out in fits of laughter as the boys shared horrified looks. "So go on then, who is it?" Ella persisted.

"Helen Dawlish, from Ravenclaw," He answered bluntly realising the girl wasn't joking.

"Oh and I've got you all a present," Ella interrupted the conversation to pull out the three neatly wrapped boxes, while it was on her mind.

"aww thanks," Fred exclaimed, and was echoed soon after by the other boys. They hastily pulled the wrapping off the presents to all find a box full of no heat indoor filibuster fireworks. Fred pulled her into a big hug from where he was lying, causing her to let out a squeal and laugh.

"Good luck getting away," He laughed, holding the girl tighter to his chest the more she squirmed, now crying with laughter.

"FRED!" She yelled as he started to tickle her, causing legs to shoot out everywhere. Finally he let go of her, and due to the restraints she had been fighting so hard against suddenly disappearing the girl went tumbling off the bed onto the floor, making the whole room errupt in hysterical laughter.

"What the bloody hell's going on in here?" Ron asked, stood in the doorway, accompanied by his two best friends.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS!" Ella yelled running hugging all three of them separately, giving her brother an extra long and bone crushing one, before throwing presents out of her sack at each of them. Harry hugged his sister and gave her his own present. Ella had gotten Harry a book entitled 'legendary quidditch moves and tactics throughout the ages' and a framed copy of the photo she had kept hidden in her bedside draw that she had been sent anonymously when she was 13. It was a photo of her Father and mother sat on the floor in what looked like a living room, Lily leaning in to James. On the floor in front of the two parents were two toddlers, one girl who looked around 2 and a boy which looked about. Everyone in the photo bore a huge grin, Lily even throwing her head back in laughter. Harry stared at her in shock and amazment when he opened the second of his presents.

"W...w...where did you get this?" He asked, tears swimming in his eyes.

"It's a copy of the one I was sent anonymously 3 years ago," She replied.

"Thanks," He grinned ear to ear, barely able to stop the tears of joy from splashing down his face.

Harry had gotten Ella a delicate necklace pendant of a pure white lily with a deep violet centre, on a thin gold chain.

"Wow, Harry. It's beautiful," She gasped, fastening it around his neck.

"Sirius gave it to me last year, it was our mums. He found it in the house after..." Harry trailed off, not wanting to ruin the happy atmosphere of the twin's room.

"Oh, Harry," She gasped, leaning in to hug him once again. "I love you,"

"I love you too, Ella,"


	10. The Yule Ball

**Finally it's the Yule Ball and are things actually going right for Ella for once? Hope you all are enjoying my story, and keep reading, I have a feeling it's going to be a long one but don't worry they will be getting together in the next couple of chapters :) just don't think that will be the end of all drama, if only someone could tell these poor characters what lay in store for them :3 anyways, happy reading and keep reviewing :)**

**xoxo Charlotte**

**PS, direct message me if you want me to send you a picture of the dress and hair that inspired me for Ella's Yule Ball outfit, won't let me post on here x**

Chapter 16

The rest of the morning and afternoon had passed relatively uneventfully. After the delicious christmas lunch the group of friends went outside for a snowball fight, which Hermione sat defiantly out of, still worrying about SPEW and the house elves reluctance to be freed. At one point, Fred hadn't been looking where he was going in his mad dash to avoid a snowball to the head from his twin and ended up colliding straight into Ella who was doing the exact same avoid one from Ron. The pair had ended up in fits of laughter, disabling them to get up from the tangle they lay in on the floor.

It got to 5 o'clock before they departed the snow laden school grounds to go and get ready for the Yule Ball that evening. Ella went back to the ship, sad that she always had to go opposite ways to her friends. Just before they were out of earshot she heard someone calling her name. She turned around to see the group beckoning for her to go over.

"What?!" She yelled in response whilst she was running towards them. "Right, what is it? You know I don't do this whole running thing," She said through gasps for breath.

"Our little brother here just reminded us that we needed to tell you mum's invited you and Harry to join us in at the Burrow to stay with us over new year." Fred said, half in question.

"Oh wow, thank you guys. I'd love to stay with you. I've never really done this family christmas thing before," She said pulling the twins down to her height to hug them, "are you sure your mum's okay having me round?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well she doesn't know that _you're _coming. We've just told her we've got a surprise for her and she knows there's going to be an extra guest." George hesitated.

"WHAT?! I can't just intrude on her," Ella replied, shocked at the twin's devious plotting.

"Of course you can!" Fred answered immediately, "Mum will be thrilled to know you're alright. We all assumed you died the same night as your parents. All mum ever said when you were brought up in the conversation subject was 'how awful to kill such a sweet little toddler. Oh she such a sweet, pretty little thing'," Fred said, impersonating his mother.

"Okay, okay. I'll come," Ella said, laughing at the impression of Mrs Weasley.

Back at the ship Ella got changed into her ball dress. It was an elegant dress with two thin straps and a low v-neck line. The bodice of the dress was a darker champagne colour, shining tastefully with carefully placed diamantes. The lighter champagne skirt of the dress was long and floaty, puffing outwards very slightly in neat ruffles, flatteringly accentuating and showing off her curvy figure. She twisted and braided her hair into a slightly messy bun, a few stray loose curls, escaping to frame her face. She finished off by slipping on a pair of open toe, high heeled, sandals which were also a variation of the same champagne colour. The colour suited her, bringing out her golden tan from the summer she spent in Europe and her emerald green eyes.

Ella made her way out of the ship, towards the castle. Just before she reached the door of the castle's entrance, she felt a rough hand grab her comparatively small wrist and tug her round the corner.

"Now, I don't want you to embarrass me at all tonight," Igor said in a tone of faked niceness, "and I assume you are opening the ball, entering with my aide, Alexei Abdulov?"

"Well...errr...no," Ella said.

"What do you mean? Who in merlin's name are you going with then?" He demanded.

"I mean I said no to him when he asked me because I didn't want anything romantic in any way shape or form tonight and I knew he would there to watch me because _you _told him to do so," She spat in response, quickly losing her temper at his need to control her, "oh and I'm going with my brother," She said before quickly walking into the entrance hall where there was too many people for him to cause a scene.

"Wow, you look so pretty." Ella turned around to see her brother smiling at her.

"Awh, thanks," She said, her attention broken by watching Igor storm through the entrance hall.

"Can all champions get ready to open the ball whilst all other students take their places in the great hall please," Professor Mcgonagall's voice sounded authoritatively over the general chatter of the hall. The students all did as they were told, as even the foreign students had soon learnt that Professor Mcgonagall was a highly respected teacher that wasn't to be messed around. Soon it was the champions turn to enter.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"Ready," Ella replied.

The champions walked into the Great Hall, which was now filled with students applauding them as they entered. They took their seats at the main table on which the judges were sat on, Percy Weasley sat in place of Mr Crouch Sr, in his time off ill. All throughout the meal, Percy twittered in Harry and Ella's ears about how great his beloved Mr Crouch was, much to their annoyance. Half way through the meal, Percy took to praising his boss again.

"You know, Mr Crouch has been working ever so hard on this tournament," Percy chirped, earning a role of the eyes from everyone in earshot, "so much infact, I personally believe it is what has made him. Not that I am complaining about having to stand in of course, it is a great honor to feel that he knows he can put his trust into me," Percy gave a sickly sweet smile, much like a beaming sheep. Ella suddenly remembered about the twins telling her how Mr Crouch kept calling him by the wrong name at the Quidditch world cup, much to everyone other than Percy's amusement.

"So I gather he's finally learnt your name then?" Ella asked in a fake politeness, with a sickly grin of her own, causing Harry to choke on his beef in laughter.

"Errmm...well..." Percy stuttered, thinking of how to regain his dignity, "Of course he has, I had only been working for him for a very short time then and you know Mr Crouch oversees a _LOT _of people," He puffed out his chest indignantly like a small child.

"okay okay, whatever you say," Ella waved off, promptly stopping any further conversation of Percy's amazing beyond belief boss.

After the meal, the champions were asked to take to the dance floor to initiate the first dance. Ella could tell that her brother's nerves were getting the better of him.

"It's fine," She whispered in his ear, "I'll lead, just follow me exactly like we did in practice,"

He nodded at her reassurance. As the music started Harry took his sister's waist and they began to dance around the floor. It wasn't half as bad as he had dreaded, he only stumbled over his own feet a couple of times but Ella had managed to cover it gracefully each time. After the first dance, the rest of the students and professors flooded the floor to join in.

"Hey, can we go and get some drinks?" Harry asked, tired from the level of concentration that went into his dancing. Ella agreed and they moved off the dance floor, where they saw Ron sulking staring jealously at Hermione and Viktor, leaving his date, a girl Ella knew to be called Padma Patil, looking sour and bored next to him.

"Go and sit with Ron and I'll get the drinks," Ella muttered to her brother before departing in the direction of the giant bowl of pumpkin juice.

As Ella waited in line, she felt a large finger prod her sharply in the back. She let out a scream of shock, spinning round to find out who the culprit was. She could have guessed, and let out a loud laugh as she saw the mischievous red head towering above her, laughing at the reaction he had caused.

"You idiot, you scared the shit out of me!" She laughed, smacking him across the arm.

"Oi," Fred replied, pretending to be hurt, "I just wanted to say hi," He said sadly, putting on the puppy eyes.

"Don't you pull that face at me Fred Weasley," She attempted (and failed) to say seriously. Fred's smile quickly returned when he began to tease her,

"Don't tell me Harry's ditched you already! And after one dance," He mocked her in jest.

"Let's just say, he's not a natural dancing type. Anyway, where's Angelina?"

"Oh, she's dancing with George. I've never seen George with an actual crush on a girl before, he's always just thought about whether they're hot or not. So I thought the least I could do was let him dance with her. So do you want to dance,"

"I need to take these drinks over to Harry," She said trying to avoid eye contact.

"That's not a problem," Fred grabbed the two cups which she had poured and walked towards Harry, with Ella in tow. Once he reached the boy he handed him the cups and said :

"Would it be alright if I take your dance partner for a dance?"

"Freddd," Ella groaned, embarrassed at the whole situation.

"Errr...sure. Don't see why not," Harry said, amused at the older boy's obvious ploy to pull.

"Great." Fred said, turning and striding towards the dance floor, pulling Ella along by the hand in the process.

"I'm sorry," She mouthed to her brother as she was dragged away.

Once on the dance floor, Fred took a surprisingly gentle yet authoritative hold of her hand and waist and began to dance. He lead them around the dance floor surprisingly well. Ella had never really thought of him as much of a dancer. The pair danced the whole night, just laughing and enjoying each other's company, until they heard the announcement saying it was the last song.

"Bloody hell, that went quick," Ella said, slightly stunned at how quickly the time had gone. She scanned around the room to realise a lot of the students, including her brother, had gone to bed.

"You must be enjoying yourself," Fred teased her, pulling her closer as the next song started. The last song was slow and romantic.

"Must be," Ella said quieting, resting her on Fred's broad shoulder, nuzzling her face, close into his neck as he pulled her closer still, to the point they were touching. They swayed back and forth without saying a word, just soaking up the last minutes of the feeling of each other's body pressed against them. When the song ended, the pair just stood still for a moment, neither one wanting to accept the night had come to an end. Finally fred stepped an inch back so he could look at the her, but careful not to put too much distance between the them. Ella looked up and her emerald green eyes met his soft, gentle brown ones.

"I've really enjoyed myself tonight," She said so timidly it was almost a whisper.

"Me too," Fred grinned softly, "and might I add, that you look absolutely gorgeous tonight," he added before leaning forward, his lips meeting hers. Ella closed the slight distance between them in response and deepened the soft, tender kiss, before pulling away with a sigh.

"Fred..." She started to say.

"Shhh," He said, pressing his lips to hers once more. Once again she reciprocated his kiss. Her lips felt hot as they melted against his.

"Let's go back to the common room," Ella whispered breathily into his lips.

Back at the common room, most of the students had gone to bed, or at least retired to more private places, except for a couple of 7th years who were sharing an intimate kiss in the far corner of the room. Fred sat iby of the fire, pulling Ella down to sit in front him where she leant on him, resting her head on his broad, hard chest. Even through his shirt, she could feel his toned muscles from all his years as being a beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They sat watching the fire in a soothing silence, Fred stroking and twisting his fingers through the younger girl's hair, which she had taken out of it's twists and knots before entering the common room. After a while he noticed her breathing had gotten heavier and after checking, he realised she was actually asleep. As gently as he could, he moved her body round so she could stretch out without ending up in the fire. He then lay down beside her with her head some how, still resting on his chest. She let out a small groan in her sleep before shifting slightly and wrapping an arm around the boy. Slowly, he too fell asleep to the calming and rhythmic sounds of Ella's breathing and the fire quiet tranquil cracks and pops.


	11. Meeting the family

Fred awoke to the sound of muffled laughter close by him. Wearily, he forced one of his eyes open to find the source of the disruption. He realised it must have still been quite early as it was only just getting light outside. Then he saw his twin sat upright on the sofa closest to the pair who had been previously sleeping. Next to George, sat Angelina, Lee Jordan and Katie Bell.

"What the hell?" Fred demanded, annoyed by his rude awakening. Ella had began to stir next to him, still tightly huddled into his chest.

"Morning," George said cheerfully, with the full intention of winding his brother up. The rest of the sofa couldn't hold back their laughs much longer.

"What the fuck?" Ella said groggily, half awake, aware of the intrusion. Her grumpiness in the mornings was nearly as famous as her strong powers.

"Floor's comfy, is it?" Lee joined in with the teasing.

"Oh fuck off," Fred snapped, turning away from the group and pulling Ella in closer to him.

The others realised they obviously weren't finding the whole situation as funny as they were so they got up and headed upstairs.

"I'm sorry," Fred whispered softly into the girl's hair as her head rested against his chest.

"It's fine," She replied, taking a deep breath to smell the boy's musky, aromatic scent. They lay their together, kept warm by the other's embrace for about an hour before they were interrupted once more. They heard the sounds of footsteps, clambering noisily down the stairs.

"Bloody hell," Ella heard one voice say that sounded distinctly familiar but she couldn't remember whose it was. A second voice appeared, only this one sounded angrier and Ella recognised it instantly.

"You CANNOT tell me that you two are _just friends_," Harry announced loudly, "Being found asleep with one another three times is not what _just friends _do."

The pair sat up to look at the boys which had just entered. The first boy to enter had been Ron, closely followed by Harry.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Ella started, getting up and making her way over to her brother.

"Look, don't worry. I'm not just messing her around." Fred put in, trying to be helpful.

"I know how it must look, Harry, but Fred and I _are_ just very good friends," Ella said. Harry just rolled his eyes in response. Ella, however, didn't notice Fred's face drop when she said this. He had hoped that she might just finally admit she liked him back after the previous night. That was, if she even did like him, Fred thought to himself.

Later that day, with their cases packed for just over a week, the Weasleys and Harry, Hermione and Ella were ready to floo to the burrow.

"Why do you look so nervous?" Fred asked, the increasingly paling, Ella, teasing her. He grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder, using one hand to stop her from squirming away and the other to tickle her relentlessly.

"Fred!" She squealed, laughing. "Put me down you idiot," She managed to say through her now close to hysterical laughter.

"So go on then. Why are you a little nervous wreck," Fred persisted, now he had gotten the girl back to her relaxed self.

"Well...it's kinda intimidating meeting your parents isn't. They knew my parents...they knew me. What if I disappoint them. I'm not that little sweet girl your mum remembers," She confessed quietly so the others wouldn't hear her, blushing a deep red.

"Well I think you still are," Fred said, his warm brown eyes meeting her dazzling green ones.

"You guys ready?" George asked, interrupting their gaze.

"Errmm, sure," Fred stuttered, looking around him to realise the rest of the group, aside from the three of them, had already gone. "You first Ella," He said grinning at her. She nodded before stepping into the fireplace in the head master's office (the only fireplace hooked up to the floo network in the school), taking a handful of floo powder. With a flash of green light she was gone.

"Guess it's your turn then," Fred said, turning to his twin but all he got in response was a raised eyebrow as George stood staring at him. "What?!" Fred demanded irritably, knowing exactly what his brother was referring to.

"So are you going to tell me what happened between you two last night or are you going to just go on pretending like nothing happened?" George questioned his brother.

"Well that's what Ella seems to be doing so that's what I may as well do," Fred said, looking at the ground going red.

"Oh." George said bluntly, "I see then. What actually happened?"

"Well we danced all night, and oh Georgie it was amazing. Then when the last song finished I kissed her, but this time she didn't pull away. In fact she kissed me back, and she was sober this time. Then we just came up to the common room and fell asleep in front of the fire." Fred said in a dreamy voice, thinking back to the previous night.

"She's got you bad mate," George laughed at the sight of his renowned stud of the school, twin falling in love with a girl who hadn't even shown any signs of liking him back.

"I know," Fred said, almost miserably" I just wish she would admit she liked me because I know she does. No one, and I mean no one, not even me, can kiss that good and not mean it. Anyway, anything happen between you and Angelina last night?"

"Oh," George said happily, as if he had forgotten the previous night before his twin had prompted him, "I took her back to our room and I knew you were still downstairs with Ella and Lee was probably banging that Ravenclaw lass somewhere, so I shagged her."

Fred just laughed at his twin's bluntness, "So was she what you were hoping?" Fred teased.

"Oh and more, Freddie. I think I might actually want to see her again," George gushed. "Anyway, we best get back to the burrow before the others wonder where we are." Fred nodded in agreement and followed his brother into the fireplace with their trunks.

As Fred and George tumbled out of the fireplace, they were bombarded by Mrs Weasley.

"Boys, who's that girl that arrived just before you? Are one of you dating her? How come you've never mentioned her before? Is she this surprise guest you were banging on about? And why the hell did you two take so much longer than the others?" Mrs Weasley demanded, leaving the twins unsure of which question to answer first. They just stood looking at one another, then their mother, and then to each other again, before they heard a voice pipe up behind her.

"I'm sorry Mrs Weasley," Ella came out from their living room and into the kitchen, "I never introduced myself, I was actually waiting for the boys to arrive. Anyway, I'm Elspeth Potter." She said, waiting for Mrs Weasley's reaction. But she just stood staring opening and closing her mouth without anything more than a slight squeak coming out.

"Wha...what?" She finally managed to get out. "So you're Lily and James daughter? And Harry's sister? The one that we all thought was dead?" She asked stunned.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," Ella shrugged. Molly let out a large gasp as though it was finally sinking in and ran forward, wrapping in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh darling!" She exclaimed, "I can't believe it! You're okay!" She finally let go of the girl, looking her up and down. "And oh my, haven't you grown up to be a beauty, just like your mother. You look just like her. Except for your hair, that looks ever so like your fathers," She laughed, remembering her old friend's dark, unruly hair that both his children had managed to inherit. "Oh well, I've got a surprise for you then. It was going to be a surprise for Harry but I suppose it's kind of for both of you now," Just as she spoke Sirius Black sauntered around the corner with a large grin when he saw Ella.

"My, my, haven't grown up," Sirius let out a low warm chuckle before making his way over to her and wrapping his arms around her. "How are you?"

"I'm good thanks,"

"Good, good. I need to speak to you privately later about Karkaroff if that's okay," He half asked, with a reassuring smile. Fred rolled his eyes and scowled at the Durmstrang headmaster's name, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah of course," Ella smiled back. And with that Harry appeared from the living room, followed by Ron and Hermione.

"Did I hear Sirius?" He enquired before his godfather stepped out from behind the twins. "Sirius!" He strode forward, receiving a firm hug from him.

"How have things been, after the first task I mean," Sirius asked him, "Do you have any clue who might have entered you yet?"

"No, can't think," Harry chewed on his lip nervously.

After all introductions had been made, the group went their various ways into their assigned rooms. Sirius was sleeping in Charlies old room, Harry with Ron as usual, and due to Ginny's room already having herself and Hermione in, Ella was put in Bill's old room. Mrs Weasley had made a delicious stew for dinner which left the whole house smelling delightful. The burrow wasn't half as grand as the accommodation at Beauxbatons or the room's on the ship but it was sure as hell a lot nicer and more welcoming, Ella thought. A while after dinner, most of the group had gone to bed or at least retired to their rooms. Left in the kitchen, was Sirius, Ella, Harry and Fred.

"Tell me everything you know about Karkaroff," Sirius stated plainly, not making any effort to hide his agender. Several years ago, Karkaroff had been let out of azkaban due to his claims of being under the imperius curse whilst he served lord Voldemort in the last wizarding war. "How did you meet him?" Sirius asked, more precisely seeing Ella struggling with where to begin.

"Well, it was last year when I was on the run from Beauxbatons, and after he realised I was homeless he gave me some money and I ran. Our paths crossed for a second time and this time I was in a much worse situation, so he took me into his flat and I lived there all summer whilst he arranged for me to transfer to Durmstrang." She finished. Fred huffed and looked at Ella sternly but she tried to ignore it.

"Do you know if he's been meeting up with any other wizards that used to be death eaters?" Sirius asked bluntly.

"I...I...I don't really know," She admitted, slightly shakily at the thought of her abusive headmaster, "He did meet up with a lot of people while I was at his and I know he brought different men back that he referred to as business deals. I also know what he did to those men when a business deal would fall through. I can't tell you if he is still a death eater, but I can say that it wouldn't be out of character, if he were to be one," She shuddered at the thought of what Igor would do if he ever found out about this conversation.

"Have you ever noticed a tattoo on his arm. The dark mark to be precise," Sirius interrogated.

Ella nodded, "I have, it's faded but it's still there,"

"What's he like in general?" Sirius asked, coming to an end of his long string of questions.

"Well he's not a particularly pleasant character most of the time but he did get me off the streets so I'll leave it at that." She heard Fred scoff and didn't dare look him in the eye. She could feel his eyes burning into the side of her head, furiously.

"That's all you're going to say?" Fred snapped, failing to keep a restraint on his temper. "Are you not going to tell them in what way he wanted you to earn your keep? How he carried on after summer? About what he tried to do to you?!"

Ella looked up, tears streaming down her face by this point.

"Fred, stop. Please." She pleaded.

"I'm going to bed," He announced, kicking the chair under the table and storming up the stairs.

"Ella, what _did_ he do?" Harry asked, gravely concerned. He knew Fred Weasley had a temper but he had never seen him fly off on one like he had just done just for mentioning a man's name,

"Tell us," Sirius stretched out his hand, across the table, and placed it reassuringly on her arm.

"I...I...I slept with him. I felt in debt to him and when he suggested a way to repay him one night, I obliged. But then he didn't stop the affair when we came to school. I kept trying to push him away and one night I was a bit too blunt to him and he lost his temper," Ella trailed off.

"WHAT did he do?!" Harry asked, his temper also flaring at the thought of his sister being taken advantage while she was so vulnerable.

"He tried to rape me," Ella finally admitted, her crying growing ever heavier.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Harry shouted, slamming his hand against the table.

"Harry, calm down. You're not helping anyone," Sirius said soothingly, before standing up and walking over to Ella, pulling her up off her chair, into a comforting embrace, stroking her hair in attempt to calm her down. Harry sat down, still fuming.

"But I'll tell you what we are going to do," Sirius said, wiping the tears of Ella's delicate face, who was now looking up at him.

"We're going to speak to Dumbledore, and we're going to get you transferred to Hogwarts as soon as possible." He said. Ella nodded and Harry also seemed to think this was a good idea. "This way we'll keep you with us and away from that filthy bastard," Ella sighed and moved away.

"Thanks you two but if you don't mind, I'm going to go up to bed. I'm shattered." She said, before departing up the stairs to her appointed room.

Once in another one of Viktor's shirts, which came to halfway down her thigh, she started to cross the hall to the bathroom, when she collided with something solid. She gasped slightly as she looked up to see a shirtless Fred. She stared, almost longingly, at his toned, ripped chest, before her line was broken when he began to speak.

"I'm so sorry for what I said down there," He said, pulling her into a strong embrace. The feel of his bare skin burnt against her. She went slightly dizzy at the smell of musky smell of aftershave. She breathed it in hungrily.

"It's fine," She managed to say in a stunned whisper. Fred laughed, releasing her.

"And don't pretend you weren't completely checking me out before. I saw you staring." He teased, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"I should really just brush my teeth and go to bed," She said, pushing past the boy hurriedly, yawning particularly obviously so he got the message she was tired. The way he had made her feel just then, terrified her to a point she couldn't ignore. She had never really felt like that around a boy before. In fact she had only ever had one proper boyfriend before that she had actually really liked. But that hadn't ended well, leading to her normally running for the hills, the second she started to develope feelings for a boy. But Fred was different. She couldn't just run away from him. She tossed and turned all that night, replaying how his skin had felt against her, again and again as she drifted in and out of a disturbed sleep.


	12. Transfer time

**Warning! There is some lemon in this chapter, but I've decided I'm not a big fan of writing that so there won't be too many scenes like that, at least not for a while after this one. Happy reading, and remember to keep reviewing :) **

**xoxo -C **

Ella turned over, her body positively aching from her lack of sleep, and saw it was growing light outside. She got out of bed sluggishly, grabbing a glass Mrs Weasley had left her on top of the dresser, on her way to the bathroom. She filled it up from the tap, before turning and leaning against the sink heavily, downing the water.

"Someone's thirsty," Fred stated mockingly, entering the bathroom. He walked over towards sink, leaning over Ella to get his tooth brush, sandwiching her between his solid, bare chest and the basin. Once again, she was pleasantly overpowered by the scent of his musky cologne fragrance, she went to take a deep breath in to inhale it, but caught herself and shook her head.

"Do you _never_ wear a shirt?" She snapped irritably, squeezing out from between the broad shouldered boy and sink.

"Got you all hot and flustered have I?" He laughed as her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

"Don't be an idiot. It's not attractive," She snapped, not appreciating the humiliation.

"You really aren't a morning person are you," He grinned, pulling her back towards him by the arm, "now what can we do to make you smile this morning, grumpy," He ambushed her, grabbing her by the waist, tickling her mercilessly.

"Fred!" She squealed, now laughing.

"Ah ha!" He exclaimed, relenting his torture, "I saw a smile and it's before 9 o'clock," he grinned and looked at her in a way that made Ella's stomach do a somersault, before slowly taking a step towards her.

"You must be _that_ funny then," She grinned goofily back, barely aware he was walking her closer and closer to the wall.

"Maybe I should just drop out of school and become a comedian," He stopped walking as her back was now pressed against the wall.

"Oh, I was laughing at you, not with you," She teased him, suddenly aware of the mere centimetres between their bodies. Fred leant down close to her, so she could feel his hot breath on her ear.

"Well, we'll have to sort that out, won't we," He whispered, chuckling softly.

"Fred, you've not been using my toothbrush again have you?" George Weasley came bustling into the bathroom. "Shit, sorry," He jolted when he saw the pair on the fair bathroom wall. "I'll just be grabbing my toothbrush and going down to Ginny and Ron's bathroom then,"

"No, no. It's fine, you stay George. I was just going to go downstairs for some breakfast," Ella pulled away, realising how quickly things had escalated. She kept telling herself that they were just friends, just like her and George, except they had kissed a couple of times. Fred just groaned and slumped against the wall before glaring at his twin.

"Sorry mate, I genuinely didn't mean to ruin your game this time,"

"Do you know how close I was," He groaned into his hands, kicking the wall where he had previously had Ella pressed up against.

"If it's any consolation, the look on her face when she left the room showed she's definitely into you," George tried to comfort his brother. However, this statement just seemed to cause more frustration.

* * *

Later that day, around the dinner table, neither Fred nor Ella participated in the general chatter that they would normally be at the heart of. Most of the adults had retired to the living room, leaving the kids to chat over their hot cocos. Ella was staring at coco, not daring to look up incase she came into eye contact with Fred. She thought about what having him that close to her, this morning, had made her feel like. _But she had been that close to him before, hell she'd kissed him twice before _she thought. She had kissed him before, but all of a sudden she had an overwhelming desire to kiss him, that she just couldn't explain. She was interrupted from her thoughts by Sirius tapping her on the shoulder from behind her, signalling her to move into the other room with him. She stood up and followed him, casting a glance around the table as she did so. When she looked at Fred, he saw and shot her a discreet wink, making her blush fiercely as she left the room.

"Everything alright?" Sirius asked her, confused as to what had made her blush so strongly.

"Yeah, yeah," She said, turning her head away in an attempt to hide her increasingly brightening red cheeks from Sirius. He just raised one of his eyebrows and let out a loud hearty laughed.

"Anyway, I wanted to let you know I wrote to professor Dumbledore straight away last night about transferring you and I this arrived this morning," He waved a sealed letter addressed to himself, "and as you can see I haven't opened it yet. I thought I would leave the honors to you," He said, handing the letter over to Ella whose hand was now shaking slightly with nerves.

_Dear Sirius,_

_Thank you for your letter. I appreciate that you can't tell me why you think it necessary for Miss Elspeth to move so quickly but I would ask if it is anything that will affect either her own or another one of my students safety, that you think carefully about it. However in response to your question, Hogwarts will of course welcome her with open arms as there is always a place at Hogwarts for one in need. I will see that the correct procedures are all carried out to make the transition as smooth as possible and when she returns to school she shall be provided with a Hogwarts uniform and timetable immediately, and as for the sorting issue, seen as both her parents and her brother, not mentioning I have noticed Miss Elspeth has befriended a lot of the house's members, I think it would be wise to put her into Gryffindor. However, one issue I did remember is that once she is registered with an English school, Miss Elspeth will need an official legal guardian as she is underage in the eye's of both the muggle and wizarding law. I am aware that Lily and James set Remus Lupin as her godfather, so that to me would be an easier choice as it shows her parents approval of the candidate but it is ultimately up to Miss Elspeth. Finally, I will be speaking to Barty Crouch about this but I would assume she would have to carry competing in the tournament for Durmstrang as opposed to Hogwarts but I will send word when I know for definite._

_Kind Regards,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Ella couldn't believe what she had just read. She really was going to be moving to Hogwarts, the one place she'd been happy in as long as she could remember. It meant that she could stay with her family and that she didn't have to leave with Igor at the end of this year. She looked up at Sirius in disbelief.

"This isn't a joke letter is it?" She gasped.

"Not at all. In two weeks you will officially be a Hogwarts student and Karkaroff won't be able to touch you,"

"Oh my god, thank you _so_ much Sirius!" She started crying and ran at and leapt on him, gripping him in a tight hug.

"Just promise me one thing, Ella," He said, suddenly serious, making her step away to get a proper look at him.

"What is it?" She asked, half worried.

"Keep up the Potter reputation your father set. Cause as much mayhem as possible and never _ever_ give in on something you believe in. Understand?" He asked, with a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. Ella broke out into a huge grin and nodded.

The pair walked back into the kitchen, where they were met with expectant looks from everyone still around the table, after hearing a bit of a commission. Ella sat down and went back to eating her cereal.

"Well..." Harry said, speaking on behalf of the whole table.

"Well what?" Ella asked, finishing her mouthful, loving how much their curiosity was torturing them.

"What in Merlin's name was all that about to make you come in here with a huge goofy grin," George butted in getting impatient.

"Oh, that." She said, pretending to just catch on. "Oh, well, Sirius received a letter from Professor Dumbledore this morning basically I'm going to officially be Hogwarts student and Gryffindor in just under two weeks," She said casually shrugging.

"WHAT?!" Ginny yelled, running over to Ella to drag her out of her seat and hugging her.

"That's amazing!" George got out of his seat to also hug the girl who was now laughing slightly uncontrollably in her euphoria. The rest of the group followed in suit, congratulating her and patting her on the back.

"I'm going to go and break the good news to the others," Sirius taking his cue to rejoin the adults.

The group sat around the table chatting excitedly, with such high spirits it felt as though not a single one of them could feel sad or miserable ever again. By the time it was reaching midnight, Mrs Weasley came into the kitchen to send them to bed. Ella, Fred and George were the last to leave after helping Molly wash the chocolate stained mugs. As the three of them started to climb the last set of stairs (seeing as they were on the top floor there was a fair few sets) when Fred elbowed his twin sharply in the ribs behind Ella's back. George let out a gasp of pain and shock. Ella turned around and raised her eyebrows.

"You alright, George?" She asked half laughing at the boy.

"Shit, I left something up there," Was all he replied before sprinting up the stairs at full speed and diving into the room which he shared with his twin.

"Wonder what's up with him," Fred played the bewildered bystander as the pair slowly carried on climbing up the stairs. Ella just chuckled softly. "You do realise that now you go to Hogwarts you will have your own bed and I'm going to have no one to kick me out of mine," Fred teased.

"Don't worry, I will always kick you out of your bed just because I can,"

"Oh yeah? What gives you that impression?" He nudged her arm hard, nearly causing her to lose balance. "See, not even Elspeth Potter can beat up the mighty Fred Weasley." Ella quickly ran at Fred, close to crying with laughter, to try and throw him off of his balance. However, he didn't budge. She went to do it again, except as she close to him, he grabbed her by the waist, spun her around to face him and used his own body to press her up against the banister.

"Seriously, though. I need you to promise me that you're going to be careful when we go back to school," Fred said, looking her straight in the eye. "We both know, that Karkaroff is going to be less than pleased, and...and..." He either didn't actually know what Karkaroff might do or he just couldn't bring himself to admit the girl whom he had grown to care so much for could be in danger.

"Shhh," Ella pressed an outstretched finger to his lip. His lips felt soft and warm against her skin. "I will be careful," She reassured him, "and I've always got you fighting my corner." There faces were now a matter of inches away from each other. Ella could feel Fred's hot, sweet breath on her face.

"That filthy bastard won't come near you, if I can help it," He stated strongly, causing Ella to giggle. "But there's one thing I am scared for you about, and there's nothing I can do," He admitted.

"What's that?" She asked, looking up at him, her emerald eyes sparkling in the low candle light.

"The tournament. The second task is soon and I've been losing sleep thinking about it. I couldn't bare for anything to happen to you," He trailed off, breaking the eye contact.

"Fred," She whispered. She delicately placed a hand either side of his head, fingering his hair lightly. He looked up to meet her gaze, at which point she pulled his head down until their lips met. He kissed her hungrily, grazing her upper thigh with one of hands and using the other to pull her waist closer to him. Ella felt dizzy. She had lost track of any thoughts she had had in her head and now she was fully consumed with thoughts of Fred Weasley. His hand slid down her thigh and picked up leg, allowing access to her at a new angle.

"Tell me one thing first," Ella said through pants, as Fred caressed her neck with his tongue.

"What?" He panted between kisses.

"Admit that you made George leave early 'cause you were planning this," She laughed. He came up from her neck and moved the hand from around her waist, to hold her head.

"I did, but I still meant everything I said," He said, refusing to break eye contact.

"I know," She took hold of his hand and squeezed out of between Fred and the banister. She led him up the rest of the stairs and turned left into her room.

"You didn't think we were going to have sex out there did you?" Ella laughed at Fred's surprised expression.

"I just wasn't...I mean..." She broke him off by kissing him softly, before walking closer to the bed, removing her hoodie, leaving her in a low slung vest top and a pair of tight jeans. She felt his hands grab her waist and spin her around to face him. His lips crashed onto hers in a desperate hunger for her, leaving her with passion bruised lips. As the kiss got more intense, Ella felt her hips buck against Fred. That seemed to be the only encouragement he needed. He groaned into her lips. The kiss broke momentarily, to remove Ella's top, to reveal her red lace bra. She kicked off her jeans, so she was just stood in her underwear. Fred stood back for a moment, admiring her gorgeous figure, which went in and out in all the right places. All of a sudden, his lips crashed once again to hers, fiercely, with a renewed desperation and hunger. Ella started to undo his shirt, throwing it on the end of the bed, whilst he placed chaste kisses down her neck to her collarbone, causing her to moan softly. Their lips met once again, before Ella moved her lips down his neck and defined torso, running her tongue, over his sensitive nipples, playfully teasing him. She undid his trousers, allowing them to drop to the floor. He picked her up effortlessly, as she wrapped her leg around his strong waist. Their bodies hot, writhing bodies moved perfectly in sync with one another. After being thrown onto the bed, to have Fred soon follow her, Ella removed her Bra slickly whilst Fred removed his boxers, unleashing his now rock hard length. He ripped her panties off her, with desire burning in his deep brown eyes. He used his fingers to rub her, now soaking, entrance.

"Fred," She moaned into his ear, close to cumming at his touch alone, "Please," She begged.

She felt him enter her slowly. She let out a loud groan as her body twitched in an almost painful bliss. Her hips subconsciously pushed closer to him. He grinned and chuckled at her eagerness, but none the less, took the sign and began thrusting into her. She felt so good around his member, he couldn't help but moan loudly himself. He soon threw all caution to the wind, and increased the pace until Ella was close to screaming. He felt her release as her inner muscles rippled around him, triggering his own release. His body collapsed, as he suddenly felt as though his weight had tripled. It took all the strength he could muster in his arms, for Fred to stop himself from squashing the girl. He rolled off her to the side, before pulling her hot sweaty body close to his.


	13. aftermath

Chapter 19

Ella kissed his sweaty cheek, as she ravished in the warmth of their hot, steaming naked bodies, pressed close together.

"So, am I as good as legend says then?" Fred teased, regaining some of his energy.

"You were...satisfactory," Ella teased back, prodding his chest.

"It takes more than satisfactory for moaning like that. That is unless you're just particularly vocal," He laughed as the young girl tried to hit him, but he just caught her wrist and pulled her into another kiss. "If you don't feel like admitting how _amazing_ I was, let's hear your magic number," Fred chuckled, pulling Ella in so her head was nustling into his chest.

"What do you mean?" She laughed.

"How many people have you had sex with?" He asked again. Ella's smile faded and she sat up uncomfortably, pulling her knees to her chest.

"A few," She mumbled, not wanting to give exact figure, in fear of scaring him off, "but there's only really been three that have meant anything to me," She admitted.

"Who?" He asked, also sitting up, looking her directly in the eye as she tried to avoid all eye contact.

"Well there was my first, Damien Baudin. He was the flirtatious bad boy, who worked in the pub down in the closest village to Beauxbatons and my only ever proper boyfriend. I was so madly in love with him so I gave him my virginity just find out he was shagging three other girls from my school, the stupid git. Then there was Lucas Pelletier. He was my best friend, growing up and that was just a casual thing to help me get over Damien but it was still important to me all the same. And then there's you now, I guess."

"And who am I?" Fred kissed her temple, pulling her in once again so she was leant against him.

"You're the carefree, fun loving, womanising, prankster of the school along with your twin. At first, you _were _just a friend to me, and a really good one at that, but then I started to really care for you, and the more I was around more I realised how much I like you," She blushed, looking down.

"I really like you, Elspeth Potter. You're smart, funny and beautiful, not to mention your unreal body, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," He put a finger under her chin, tilting her head up before placing a sweet, charming kiss on her lips.

"And outcomes the womaniser," She laughed, "besides, I haven't even got a decent body. I'm like a size 10. I'm hardly the size 6 super model bodies you've been with before" She looked away. This was the first time Fred truly saw how vulnerable and broken she was. She had been used and tossed aside for so long, she couldn't see her own beauty.

"You're much more gorgeous than any of them. You're not big in the slightest! You're certainly a hell of a lot sexier than any of the titless stick insects, and don't you ever let me catch you degrading yourself like that again," She just nodded and kissed him again. Her pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss

"So am I not going to get a specific number off you then," He said, remembering back to his earlier question.

"Put it this way, it probably won't go anywhere near yours," She lied but he just shrugged and grinned, pulling Ella closer, lying down. The pair fell into a sweet sound sleep.

* * *

"Rise and shine, campers," George Weasley waltzed into Ella's bedroom, amused by the startled look of the pair as the hurriedly fumbled around with the bed sheets to make sure they were decent.

"What the fuck, George?" Fred groaned.

"Have a good night last night, did you?" George grinned a knowing grin.

"Well, yes thank you, we did," Ella said smirking.

"I know you did," George couldn't help himself, "I could hear what a brilliant time you were both having from my room. Particularly you, Ella," He snorted as both their faces turned a bright crimson and they looked to the floor.

"We forgot to put a silencing charm on the door," Ella whispered, more to herself, completely mortified.

"Don't worry, young one. After I could hear _exactly_ what was going on, I came and put one on from the outside for you. It would be ridiculously awkward for everyone, if mum and dad were to have heard you," Ella muttered a thanks, still too embarrassed to look up at either boy.

"Fred you should probably come back to our room, Mum's on her wake up rounds," George said urgently as he heard his mum on the floor below.

"Shit," Fred sprang out of bed, covering himself until he got his underwear on. "Thanks, Georgie," He pulled on his jeans and crumpled his shirt in his hands, deciding he didn't have time to put it on and it wasn't particularly necessary. Before departing the room, Fred walked over to the bed, and kissed Ella passionately. Even after the previous night, his kiss still made her dizzy, his musky smell flooding her nostrils. "See you at breakfast," He sent her a quick wink before charging across the hall and into his own bed before his mother saw him.

* * *

Around the breakfast table, Ella refused to make eye contact with George for fear of blushing furiously, which would cause lots of unnecessary questions to be asked. Every time she caught the eye of Fred, who was sat near the other end of the table, he would wink or give her a huge smile, not afraid of who noticed.

"You two have a good night last night, then?" Sirius chuckled, quietly in the chair to Ella's left.

"What?!" She gasped, choking slightly on her toast. "H...how did you know?" She asked, praying to God that George had put the charm on the room before anyone else had heard them.

"I was on my way up to bed, when I saw you two, stood, talking on the stairs, looking very close and cosy," He nudged her playfully, "Then judging by the looks getting sent down your way this morning, it didn't end there," He wound her up.

"Siriuss!" She groaned, laughing at his lack of subtleness. "Be quiet, don't let him hear," She nodded towards Harry, who was sat on her other side, engrossed in a conversation about quidditch with Ron

"It can be our little secret," He grinned.


	14. revelations

Chapter 20

In the next week before going back to school, Fred and Ella met up to talk away from the rest of the group, on several occasions. They would often stay up late talking with George in the twins or enjoy more intimate situations in Ella's room. The evening before they were due to arrive back at school, as the sun was setting, the pair sat under a large oak tree, situated on the bank of the lake. The setting sun cast a deep red light of the burrow and its grounds. Ella rested her head contently on Fred's shoulder as they sat and talked.

"I think we've got an audience," Fred laughed, pointing over to the window from the kitchen, where Ginny, Harry and Ron were gawping at them, probably speculating what was going on between the pair. Ella laughed, and lifted her head to look at the boy.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Well, we could go inside if you want, dinner's probably nearly ready," Fred suggested.

"Not that," Ella laughed, "I meant, about us, I mean, I never really had you down as the relationship type but then neither was I,"

"You're right, I never really was but with you, everything just feels right,"

"Then kiss me," Ella said, glancing back at the window. Fred obliged, placing a soft kiss on her sweet tasting lips, running his hands through her wild yet soft hair, which had an auburn glow in the sunset light.

"What was all that about?" Fred asked with a chuckle.

"Well, they'll now bring the subject up," Ella said, referring to the trio stood at the window, whose mouths were now moving rapidly, gossiping about what they had just witnessed, "which will lead nicely into me announcing you as my boyfriend," She kissed him again, but only short and sweet, still painfully aware they had an audience.

"Come on, we best get to dinner," Fred said, standing up as he heard his mum shout everyone to the table.

Mrs Weasley had prepared a Sunday roast, complete with a large succulent roast chicken and Yorkshire puddings, in a bid farewell to the kids until the summer. Ella and Fred received expecting looks from the rest of the kids around the table, when they came.

"So," Ron said bluntly, as the Mr and Mrs Weasley were hurrying around the kitchen, putting the final touches on the meal, "you got something to tell us?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Sirius sat at the head of the table, chuckling at the simplicity of young love.

"Yes, we do," Ella answered simply.

"In fact, we've got something to tell you all," Fred put in, indicating to his parents to sit down as the dinner was ready.

"Well Fred and I, we're sort of a couple now," Ella said awkwardly, unsure of how best to phrase it.

"I knew it!" Harry exclaimed from opposite Ella. "I kept telling you that you two were more than '_just friends'_ " Ella kicked her brother under the table, to remind him that they were still in the presence of Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"That's wonderful news you two," Mrs Weasley gushed, rushing over to hug her son and his new girlfriend. "I hope you've finally got him on the straight and narrow my dear. You never know, both twins could even come out with some good N.E. next year, Arthur," She turned to her husband in excitement.

"Baby steps, Mum," George doubled over laughing at the thought of he and his twin actually doing any work at school. The rest of dinner went uneventfully, with everyone talking about what lay ahead when they returned to school. Mr Weasley quietly congratulated his son and gave him a pat on the back for his 'standards', whilst his wife's back was turned.

All the children were made to help clear the table and wash up the dishes, despite it being their last night of freedom from school. As much as they all complained about going back to school, secretly not a single one of them could wait. Fair enough, none of them, besides perhaps Hermione, were looking forward to long gruelling essays and mountains of homework, but they all saw Hogwarts as a second home or for Harry and Ella, an only home. After most the clearing up was done, Ella offered, with Sirius' help, to finish whilst the rest of them went and packed, as she seemed to be the only one who had so far. When all the others had all left the room, Sirius dropped the current conversation topic and nudged the younger girl playfully in the ribs.

"Managed to lock down the school stud then?" Sirius teased her, blowing some bubbles from the washing up bowl in her hair

"Hey!" She giggled trying to get him back, "He's not 'the school stud' he just never used to be the relationship kind, and neither did I," Ella said, looking out of the window, lost in thoughts.

"So what happened then?" Sirius asked, with an unusually serious tone for Sirius.

"It's going to sound stupid but he's just different. It just feels right," She blushed.

"It doesn't, I know what you mean," It was now Sirius' turn to get lost in his own thoughts.

"Are you telling me that the infamous Sirius Black, the heart throb and sleaze of my parent's generation, fell for a girl," She teased him, "go on then, what was her name?"

"You'll know her as Alice Longbottom. I believe her son, Neville is in your brother's year at Hogwarts?" Sirius said blandly, as he looked pensively out of the window.

"Yeah, he is. So what happened?"

"Well, I spent all my school years running round with your father, Remus and Peter," Ella noticed how Sirius spat the last name in disgust, "playing ingenious pranks, if I say so myself, and sleeping with a lot of girls. Your father used to be the same, only when he realised he loved Lily. I was in my sixth year, same age as Fred, when I had my chance with Alice. But I blew it. I loved my carefree lifestyle too much and didn't want to commit to anything with her, so of course she moved on and met Frank. It was only when she was with Frank, I realised how much I loved her. I tried to tell her, but she was happy. I suppose that made me happy enough to know she wasn't miserable. But then my evil cousin, Bellatrix, tortured her and she's still in St Mungo's till this day. Barely knows her own name…" He trailed off. For the first time, Ella was left speechless as she noticed a single tear roll down, his scarred, worn face. This man that she had always thought to be almost incapable of loving a girl in that way because there was just too many others to sleep with, was crying over a lost love.

"Oh Sirius," She whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tight, "I had no idea,"

"It's fine," He broke off the hug and went back to gazing out of the window, into the pitch black.

* * *

**I know it's moving a bit slowly but it will start to move quicker now they've gotten together and we're back into the action of school, the tournament and of course the sleaze that is Igor :3 Keep reading and reviewing x**


	15. New Term, New Year, New School

The next evening, the Weasley children, Harry, Ella and Hermione stood next to the fireplace in the Weasley's sitting room, with their bags, saying their good byes. Mrs Weasley hugged each child, announcing how much she was going to miss each one of them, and telling them all to behave and to look after themselves.

"The house is so quiet without you lot, running around like a herd of elephants, now that Percy's consumed with his job at the ministry, Charlie's back in Romania and Bill's gone back to his work," She said, turning to her last hug left, Ginny, with a tear in her eye.

"Mum, you get emotional every time we leave the house at the minute," Ron grunted, rather unimpressed.

"It's what happens when you get old, Ronniekins" George taunted him and his mother.

"Fred Weasley!" She scorned him at his bluntness.

"Mum, I'm George," He ruffled his mother's hair, laughing obstreperously as she waved him away with her tea towel.

"Honestly woman, and you call yourself our mother," Fred joined in with the rambunctious behaviour.

"Get yourselves gone," Mrs Weasley waved them off, suddenly realising how much she had missed a bit of peace and quiet without having to expect plotting the minute the clamour and ruckus of the boy's above silenced.

Ella felt a firm, sturdy hand place on her shoulder. She turned to see Sirius, who had just sent Harry on his way with a farewell hug.

"You'll look after yourself won't you," Sirius gripped her in a tight embrace. Ella felt safe in his arms. A safeness, she had only ever experienced with Fred before, but the safety Sirius provided felt more like a protective older brother. He wasn't a fatherly figure to her, however. She decided he talked too openly about both his and her sex life to be classed as a sort of parent.

"I'll give it my best shot," She joked, separating from the hug.

"I'll arrange with Dumbledore for Remus to arrive at school sometime, so you can comfortably approve him being your legal guardian. If that's okay? And remember to write to me the second you find out any more information on the second task," Sirius said as she stepped into the fireplace.

"Of course it's okay. Thanks for everything Sirius, I'll make sure I write," She said as she threw down the floo powder, anxiously anticipating her arrival back at Hogwarts, to start her first term as a student there.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Potter," She was greeted with a wise, soothing voice, as she stumbled out of the fireplace and into the large office of the Hogwarts' headmaster. "The others are already on their way to is Professor McGonagall, your new transfiguration professor and head of house," He introduced the tall women, with black hair in a tight bun, which Ella remembered from the Ball.

"Nice to meet you, professor," Ella shook McGonagall's outstretched hand.

"As you," Professor McGonagall replied. She struck Ella as the kind of woman who didn't fuss much over all the pleasantries and just got to the point. "I have taken the liberty of getting you a uniform and I trust you are happy with our decision to skip sorting and placing you in Gryffindor due to all your previous family for generations, belonging to the same house."

"Yes, very happy," Ella couldn't help herself from grinning. It was really happening. She was really joining the one place that she had been completely happy at. "And thank you for the uniform," She added politely.

"Follow me," She said briskly, walking swiftly over to the exit. Ella glanced over at Professor Dumbledore, who winked and chuckled, bidding the girl a good night. "I will show you the way to the common room, give you the password and direct you to which room you'll be sleeping in,"

"Oh, I already know the…" Ella stopped herself suddenly, knowing how much trouble the boys and her brother would be in for continuously inviting a non-Gryffindor into their common room.

"Know what, dear?" Professor McGonagall asked, confusion creasing her face.

"Doesn't matter, professor," She said quickly, before they carried on down the hallways.

* * *

Once they reached the common room, Professor gave a quick verbal tour of the Gryffindor tower and turned to walk out.

"Oh and Miss Potter," She turned on her heal, "I nearly forgot, here is your timetable for this year," She handed over a sheet of paper, "You will see that you will not take all classes with your own year group. In fact, seen as you're a very bright girl and the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton's programmes work slightly differently to our own, you will be taking a lot of your classes with the year group above your own." She finished before bidding Ella, and the rest of the remaining students milling around the common room, a good night.

As the portrait closed behind McGonagall, Ella let out a small squeal of excitement and clung the sheet of paper to her chest.

"Oi, you!" George called across the room to her.

"We've saved you a seat," Fred finished, both patting a space between them on the sofa facing the fire. Ella rolled her eyes, mockingly, before running over and jumping over the back of the sofa, landing hazardously between the boys, narrowly avoiding kicking them.

"Steady on," George laughed at the younger girl's childlike excitement at school.

"What lessons you got tomorrow?" Fred asked, taking the sheet of paper out of her grasp and surveyed it. "Hey, we've got potions first thing tomorrow as well. How will that work?" Fred wondered, puzzled,

"Oh, Professor McGonagall just told me that I will be taking some of my classes with you," She smiled.

"That's great!" Fred exclaimed, pulling his girlfriend into a warm, joyous hug kissing her lightly.

"What a brilliant way to start a new term," Lee Jordan mumbled sarcastically, leaning sullenly against the sofa which the others were sitting on. "Nothing says welcome back like a detention, an essay on Golpalott's third law and 15 points from Gryffindor because you breathed,"

"Oh, he can't be that bad, can he?" Ella enquired, highly amused by the severe dislike everyone seemed to harbour for this professor.

"He _really_ is!" Harry added, defiantly from the opposite side of the room.


	16. Rage is a terrible thing

Chapter 22

"Ella! Wake up, we've already been to breakfast. First class starts in 15 minutes!" A rather frantic Katie Bell shook the sleepy girl, desperately trying to wake her.

"Urghh, I'll go tomorrow. Too tired…" She groaned, burying her head in her pillow.

"Noo, Ella," Katie whined, before leaving the room. Much to Ella's dismay, when she returned, she had brought two red headed boys with her.

"Told you she was shit in a morning," Fred Weasley announced as he entered the room, laughing at the thought of his grumpy girlfriend making a brilliant impression on her new roommates as she bit their heads off.

"Come on, sleepy," George coaxed, prodding her in the back. She just completely blanked the boys' presence in the hope to spend a few more hours in bed.

"You've got five seconds to get up before we attack," Fred warned, humorously yet deadly serious.

"Nooooo," She groaned loudly from under the covers.

"1…" He teased as she started to squirm.

"2…" George continued, receiving a very similar response.

"Guys, don't you think this might be slightly harsh," Katie cautioned them nervously.

"Nope," Fred answered bluntly, "3…"

"4…" The boys were getting ready to pounce, "You're getting close, Ella." They burst into hysterical laughter as they heard an even louder groan as limbs started to flail around under the covers to warn off any potential predators.

"5!" Both twins shouted together, grapping her covers and dragging them from her. However, she just buried her head in her pillows even further.

"Right," Fred said, full of determination, "if you don't get up this is going over your head." He pulled out his wand and used a silent levitation charm on the jug of water next to Ella's bed, hovering it over her head. She looked up from her covers to see what she was being threatened with. Katie and the boys' couldn't hold in their laughter as her face dropped, and she jumped up quickly, still looking horrified.

"I'm up! I'm up!" She yelled, running to her boyfriend to wrestle his wand away from him.

"Right, we're going to love you and leave you to get ready. We'll meet you in the common room to show you to the dungeons," George waved as he walked out.

"Be quick. We've got to be at the dungeons in 10 minutes, and Snape hates everyone, but he might just hate you even more if you're late for your first lesson with him," Fred kissed her on the head before following his brother out.

Ella threw on her new uniform and robes, shoved her hair up in a high pony tail and slapped on a bit of eyeliner and foundation. She dashed down the stairs into the now deserted, other than the twins, common room.

"Here," George chucked her an apple they had nicked from the kitchen whilst they had been waiting for her.

The three of them made their way to the dungeons horridly, none of them wanting to face a gruelling long essay for being late. However, as they had feared, the class was already underway by the time they arrived.

"You're late!" Snape snarled as they tried to creep in. However, the only seats available had been at the front, making any sneaking of any kind incredibly difficult.

"Sorry, professor," Ella said casually, "it was my fault for being late but the boys had to show me where to go."

"And what are you even doing here?" He spat down at her.

"Did Professor Dumbledore not tell you? I've transferred here," She said cheerily.

"And you think yourself news worthy do you?" He sneered. "Right, we're making the draught of the living dead potion today. Do it badly and we'll be forced to test them out on in detention," He turned on his heal, swiftly walking over to the next bench, robes billowing behind him.

"Git," The three said together.

At the end of the class, Snape went round each caldron to test the student's concoctions by dropping in a single leaf. He came to Ella last, her evidently being most hated as the twins had warned.

"Oh, I seem to have ran out of leaves," He said in a false disappointment, "looks as though it wouldn't do much anyway," He peered, dismissively into her cauldron, "best pour it down the drain." The Slytherins sniggered distastefully.

Not a problem, professor," Ella pasted a sickly false smile on her face. She held out her hand, palm facing upwards. The whole class watched in awe, as a small delicate lily formed in her palm, twisting and twirling beautifully.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Angelina asked, amazed.

"Oh, it's a little talent I inherited from…"

"Your mother," Snape said, close to a whisper.

"Yes, my mother," Ella repeated, confused about the potions professor's reaction. His, already fair, face, drained of all colour it had had previously and his hand began to shake ever so slightly.

"Test it, then," He said, pulling himself together slightly. Ella dropped the small lily into her potion and watched as it burnt and crumpled into ash.

"Well…" Snape stuttered, stunned and annoyed at being proved wrong, "It seems you may have got lucky with that one," He said, coldly, before dismissing the class.

"Finally, someone showed that bastard up!" George patted Ella on the back triumphantly, the second they got out of earshot of Snape, as they wound their way through the dark, damp corridors of the dungeons.

"I knew you could do it, grumpy," He avoided her fist as it swung his way for the use of her new nick name the twins had come up with due to her bright and cheery persona in a morning. Much to Ella's annoyance, it seemed to be catching.

Their laughter was soon interrupted by a furious looking Igor, marching straight towards them, scowling.

"Potter, a word," He spat savagely, grabbing her by the upper arm, pulling into an empty classroom. "She'll meet you in the next class," He barked at the stunned 6th years, stood gawping.

"What is it?!" She demanded, heat rising throughout her body furiously.

"What the fuck do you think you are wearing?!" He snarled, indicating to her robes.

"My _new _uniform," She smirked slyly, much unlike her normal character, but when it came to Igor, anything she did to aggravate him, satisfied her deeply. He slammed his hand against the wall she was backed onto, inches from her head.

"You stupid girl!" He fulminated. "Do you not realise how bad this looks on me? One of my champions doesn't even want to stay at their own school?!"

Ella was suddenly flashed back to the last time he had had her this close, against a wall. Her anger slowly began to be replaced by fear as she began to realise what a dangerous predicament she had put herself in. However, she couldn't help but wind him further.

"Do you not remember all I did for you?" He snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I think I've paid you back sufficiently, don't you? Little pervert," She spat. Before she could take what she had said, his fist slammed against her jaw.

"Think you're so clever, do you?" He laughed callously as blood began to drip from her mouth.

"Igor," She began, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Don't even speak to me you slut!" He was nearly screaming, shaking in his rage. Without warning, another fist hit her directly on the eye, causing her to double over in pain. As she gasped for a breath through the searing pain and blood. Karkaroff, slammed her against the wall, forcing her to straighten up, by her shoulders.

"I'm not done with you," He growled. He raised his fist to hit her once again, when the door swung open.

"Oh, I think you are done," Snape drawled lazily.


	17. Confessions

"Severus, I was just on my way to come see you," Karkaroff tried to redeem himself slightly, hastily wiping the blood off of his hand and onto his robes.

"Leave," Snape replied shortly, still showing no sign of emotion, not taking his glare off of the young girl now crumpled in a heap against the wall, on the floor, hopelessly attempting to wipe blood off of her face.

"Severus," Igor started.

"Now," He said in an eerie calmness. Igor quickly scuttled out of the room, without a glance back, shutting the door behind him.

For the first time since he had entered the room, Ella looked up at her potions professor.

"Thanks," She whispered, mustering all the strength she could find through the searing pain in her jaw and eye. He merely nodded and mumbled something undistinguishable, making his way over to her.

"Here," Snape offered his arm to the injured girl, to help her up. She took it graciously. "Let me have a look," He indicated to her injuries, using her index and middle finger to gently tilt her head up. His touch was much tenderer than she would have expected it to be, but Ella just assumed that it felt more so due what had just taken place. With a wave of his wand, Ella felt the blood that had been previously rushing out of her lip, slow down and the searing pain around her eye ease slightly.

"You're not a stupid girl so probably don't need me to explain why you shouldn't pursue Igor on this, just don't. Just keep out of his way," Snape warned. Ella nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. It would be foolish for her to go after a man who was obviously still tightly connected with other dark wizards, after what had happened at the Quidditch world cup. However, she couldn't shake the feeling her friends and brother might have an opinion of a different sort.

"Is he still like that?" She asked him, half expecting him not to reply, but knowing the answer if he did. "You know, involved in dark magic,"

"I would think you a feel if you were to believe otherwise. People do not simply change overnight," He said, before muttering another spell under his breath with another wave of his wand. Ella could gradually feel her face to become less swollen and relieved of pain.

"That's about all I can do for you," Snape said finally.

"Thank you," She said kindly, looking him in the eye.

"Don't let me catch you provoking Karkaroff again," He said, suddenly turning back into the rude potions master who was infamous for his grumpy disposition and less than forgiving nature. He strode out the room, cloak billowing behind him. Any feelings of gratefulness or warmth she had been starting to build towards him as he heeled her injuries, disappeared the moment he implied that she had deserved what Igor did to her. In her new anger, she grabbed her back and headed to ancient ruins, thankful it was a class she took with her own year group, so there wouldn't be many questions asked.

* * *

The classes before lunched dragged. She had barely paid any attention due to the side of her face still throbbing. Katie had initially been very concerned as to what had happened to Ella's face but she decided not to press the matter when Ella muttered something vague about not looking where she was going. However, she knew this excuse would not fly with the twins and Angelina, who had witnessed her being dragged off by her old headmaster, in a fit of rage.

She arrived to lunch early with Katie, hoping she could finish before either her brother or the twins saw her. She knew she couldn't just avoid them but she could delay their questions, and at the minute that was all she wanted. She sat in their normal seats, grabbing a delicious looking cheese, chutney and apple sandwich. One of her favourite things about Hogwarts was the food. However, the happiness and comfort she found from the food was short lived, as she heard the twins, Angelina, Lee Jordan and Alicia Spinnet enter the hall rambunctiously.

"Ella!" Fred exclaimed, rushing over to sit next to her, "I was worried about you." Ella just stared down at the table, trying to use her hair to cover her injuries as best as possible. "You alright?" He asked, as she didn't respond to him. Ella nodded, still refusing to look. "What's up?" He pulled her into the warmth and comfort of his chest.

"It's nothing," She said, finally looking up to meet her boyfriend's gaze. His faced suddenly flooded with anger at the bruises and cuts.

"Don't tell me he did this to you," Fred whispered, dangerously.

"Fred," She could feel the tears swimming in her eyes, fiercely fighting to break out down her face.

"I'm going to flaming KILL him!" He exclaimed loudly, attracting unwanted attention.

"Not here, please," Ella begged him to calm down.

"Okay," He stood up, taking her hand and pulling her close to him. They quickly walked out of the hall, heads down, to attract as little attention as possible. They would their way through busy corridors, trying to find somewhere quiet.

"Here," Fred said, finally, pulling Ella into a small passage, "It's a secret passage, no one knows about this apart from me, George, Harry and you now I guess," He said reassuringly.

"Thanks," Ella whispered, still gripping his hand tightly. Feeling how violently her hand was shaking, Fred wrapped Ella up in his arm, just holding her close. Ella started sobbing into Fred's musky scented chest, as his arms provided safety and comfort.

After a while, Ella pulled away from the hug wiping away the tear tracks, staining her bruised and torn skin.

"I know it's hard, but please tell me what happened," Fred said, taking a hold of her lower arms gently reassuring her. "Was it Karkaroff?" Fred spat his name in disgust, knowing the answer before she even opened her mouth. She nodded in response as the words seemed to be stuck in her throat.

"He was angrier than we anticipated at my transfer," She sniffed, trying to recompose herself.

"If I ever get my hands on him, he won't live to tell the tale," Fred growled, pulling Ella into another tender, serene embrace.

"Are they really obvious?" Ella said, referring to her injuries, self-consciously pulling a small makeup mirror out of a pocket in her robe. Her eye was now dark and quite severly swollen and her bottom lip was mildly inflamed, with a large to the left of the centre.

"You're still the most beautiful girl in the school," Fred pulled her in, pressing her lips against his own.

"owww," She muttered, quickly pulling out of the tender kiss, pressing her hand to her bottom lip. "I'm sorry," She said ashamed of her injuries.

"It's fine," Fred gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm taking you to the hospital wing to see if there's anything Madame Pomfrey can do for you and once she's taking care of you, I'll run and get your brother,"

"But…" Ella started to protest.

"No arguments, you're coming," Fred said bluntly, taking her hand and leading her in the direction of the hospital wing.

* * *

Ella had been granted the afternoon off of school to stay in the hospital wing and receive treatment. She forced down some horrible tasting potion, on the promise it would quicken up the healing of the gash in her lip but apart from that, nothing would heal it other than time. Ella's heart sunk at the news, despite it being the news she expected. She had hoped that there would be some way she wouldn't have to walk round school looking like a victim of domestic abuse. As expected, Harry was livid at what had happened. Ron and Hermione had to talk him down from storming straight to Karkaroff to try and have it out with him.

"Then at least tell Dumbledore!" Harry demanded, in his visit after lessons. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George were also all stood around the hospital bed, Ella was now sat up in.

"But Harry, I think he's one of them, you know, those death eaters. Even Snape said it would be unwise to go after Igor," Ella tried to get her brother to understand.

"Snape!" Harry spat, horrified that she had spoken to him about this before himself, "Why in Merlin's name were you talking to him?"

"He stopped Igor, Harry," Ella told him, softly, "And tried to heal up my face as best he could. He actually managed to stop the bleeding pretty well," She ran a hand over her lip.

"Didn't know the git had it in him," Ron said in disbelief.

"Well don't get too excited. He's still a git," Fred snarled at the thought of what Ella had told him he had said. The group squabbled over what to do about the situation. They still hadn't come to any decision, other than the fact Sirius needed to be informed of what had happened, when Madame Pomfrey ushered all guests out, insisting her patient needed to rest.

Within 15 minutes of the others leaving, there was knock on the door.

"Sorry, Poppy," Dumbledore opened the door, "would I be able to speak to Miss Potter for a minute,"

"She needs rest, Albus," She tried to insist.

"Oh I won't be long and it is, indeed, very important," He said, winking at Ella, who was now sat up watching the pair, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Very well, I'll be back in 5 minutes," Madame Pomfrey warned. Ella chuckled at the way she spoke to the headmaster as though it was her who was employing him, and not the other way around.

"Ah, Miss Potter," Dumbledore sat himself down on the chair beside the bed, picking a liquorice snap from the complimentary bowl on the bedside table, "I was just wondering whether you could enlighten me on how your received your injuries. It's just, they seem rather remarkable for not looking where you were going," He enquired.

"I'm sorry professor, I can't tell you," She looked at the floor, unable to meet his eye.

"Elspeth, you can tell me. If it's something bad I can protect you from it," He offered supportively.

"It was Igor Karkaroff," She admitted, feeling a huge weight lift from her chest, "He didn't like the fact I transferred. And please, professor, call me Ella"

"Sorry, Ella, I had a funny feeling it would be. Sorry if I'm prying, but would I be right in assuming there is some sort of past between you two?" He asked carefully, not wanting to upset the girl. Ella nodded grimly.

"Yes, but how did you know?"

"I could tell there was something not completely right from the moment you arrived at this school. Now the question is, what do you want to do about it?" Ella met Dumbledore's kind gaze, his shimmering blue eyes twinkling in the moon light.

"I don't know," Ella admitted, "What can we do?"  
"I could report him for physical abuse and an inappropriate relationship with a student. Both would earn him a one way ticket to Azkaban,"

"But then, everyone would find out," Ella stammered, starting to shake in fear of a mixture of what people would say if it went public that she had been having an affair with her headmaster, and of the wrath of Igor when he found out she was planning to prosecute him. She thought back to what Snape had said earlier that day. He had been right, even if they lock him away, there's others on his side. Others that are possibly even worse than him. Ella shuddered.

"Only those who it is necessary to," Dumbledore reassured her, "I could speak to the right people, make sure it stays quiet and request he stays in his post here under observation of the ministry until the end of the year, where he will go to Azkaban and await his trial there. That way, there will be no speculations among your peers as to why he has disappeared. How does that sound? Would you like me to send an owl in the morning?" Ella nodded silently. "Very well, my dear." He stood up bidding goodnight to her then Madame Pomfrey from her office. Just before he reached the door Ella called out to him.

"Professor," She called, causing him to turn around, "Thanks," She said with a genuine smile, the first she had had in a long while.


	18. Knowing you, Knowing me

Ella was woken early by the morning sun flooding into the light and airy hospital wing and the joyous birds twittering cheerfully outside. For the first time in a long while, she woke up feeling free. Dumbledore was going to sort out the situation with Igor and protect her in the process. Fair enough, she still had some slight untold truths about the previous year, but those were secrets, only Igor knew and she didn't have to worry about him anymore, or so she thought.

Ella was discharged by 7am, and dashed over to the Gryffindor tower, where she wrote her letter hurriedly.

_Sirius,_

_It's hard to explain this, but there was an incident involving Karkaroff yesterday morning, which, to put simply, I've only been discharged from the hospital this morning because of. I did, however, manage to find some more information out on him. Snape let slip that he was fairly certain that he was still involved with the Death Eaters and that the unrest at the world cup wouldn't be the last we'll hear from them. I don't know how he knows, but he does. Hope this helps,_

_Ella_

"ELLA!" She heard a squeal and a thundering of footsteps charging down the steps into the common room. Ella turned to see a ginger haired girl flying towards her, flinging herself at her. "I'm so happy you're okay," Ginny hugged her friend tightly. The pair had become close over the Christmas holidays and found they held many of the same opinions and traits.

"I'm fine, Gin," Ella laughed, pulling out the hug only to be ran at and engulfed by another bear hug. The group grew, as the news was passed round Ella's friends that she was back. Ella ended up hugging every single one, insisting that she was fine and didn't need fussing over. Leaning on the side of the wall, smirking at her embarrassment of the fuss, was he tall flame head boyfriend.

"And what are you looking so self-righteous about?" Ella teased, making her way to where he was stood.

"How your hugs and smiles are noticeably decreasing in enthusiasm. Admit it, you hate all this attention," Fred teased back.

"Well, yeah, but they only do it because they care," She tried to defend her friends. Fred just laughed at the way she always saw the best in other, and pulled her into a warm embrace, kissing lightly on the head.

"Just don't get yourself hurt again, promise me?" He said in a more serious tone.

"I'll try, but it's the next task in a matter of weeks and I haven't even figured out what it's going to be. If it wasn't for Harry last time, I wouldn't have been prepared for that either. All Igor gave me was a list of spells which would cause great, and some permanent, harm," She said slightly frantically.

"Talking of the bastard, what you doing about him?" Fred took the opportunity to ask whilst the other Gryffindors had, largely, gone down to breakfast, and the man had come up in the subject of the conversation.

"I told Dumbledore," She mumbled looking at her feet awkwardly.

"That's brilliant!" He exclaimed, he picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and spinning around in jest.

"Ahaha, Fred. You can put me down," She giggled, patting him on the back to encourage her release.

"So, what's gonna happen to the miserable git then?" He asked eagerly.

"He's already been reported, most likely. And then he's going to stay at the castle under the watch of Dumbledore on behalf of the ministry until the end of the tournament, when he'll go to Azkaban and await his trial there," She said gleefully. Fred couldn't help himself from grinning dopily and kissing Ella passionately. He ran his hands through her tangled, messy hair, pulling her in closer.

"I'm so proud of you, you know that," Fred said breaking the kiss, resting his forehead on hers.

"I know," The pair burst into laughter.

The rest of that day went fairly uneventfully. Ella had double transfiguration first with her own year, proving herself to be quite talented in it, then care of magical creatures. After lunch, she had her first defence the dark arts lesson, a subject that was completely new to her. At Durmstrang they taught the dark arts, rather than defending it, and Beauxbatons felt it was a matter to be avoided altogether. She had heard a lot about the new teacher, mainly that he was a complete nutter, but nothing had quite prepared her for just how mad he was. He spent the lesson showing them the effects of the cruciatous curse and beginning to talk them through resisting the imperious curse, before they ran out of time. Finally, she had potions once again, with the 6th years. This was the lesson Ella had been dreading all day. She was dreading facing Snape after the way he had treated after healing her injuries. Practically accusing her of provoking Karkaroff and implying that she had deserved. Ella had not told her brother or the twins what he had said, as she knew it would do more trouble than good. All that would happen is that they would lose their tempers and say or do something they would come to regret.

Whilst waiting outside the room, in the cold damp dungeons, Ella felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her into a familiar body.

"How's your day been?" Fred asked, kissing her temple. Ella turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, his arms still around her waist.

"Brilliant, but you weren't half right about Moody being a nutter," Ella laughed, leaning in to kiss her boyfriend, a little more intensely than intended, due to other inhabitants of the same hallway. She never got tired of his kiss though. Her lips felt as though they had been set on fire every time they met his luscious ones.

"Get a room," Lee Jordan complained, whilst walking past.

"Urghh," Ella groaned, pulling apart from the kiss unwillingly.

In the lesson, Snape was even more arrogant and rude than normal towards the girl, despite her potion being almost spot on once again. As the students began to pack up their supplies and equipment, he announced a 5000 word essay on the uses and dangers of bizoarres, in for the following day.

"And 6000 words for you Miss Potter, for over affectionate displays of public affection in the hallway before my lesson began,"

"But professor," She tried to reason.

"Do you want 7000 words?"

"Well, no but…"

"Then I suggest that you be quiet. Not that you seem to do anything I suggest," He snapped, turning around to clear his own desk. It suddenly dawned on Ella, why she was getting this unfair treatment. She had turned Igor in, despite what he had advised.

"Wait outside, I'll just be a second," She whispered in Fred's ear. He nodded and left with his brother.

Ella walked over to the professor's desk, clearing her throat, causing Snape to turn round, slightly startled.

"What do you want?" He snapped bluntly.

"Admit it, your pissed off that I didn't take your advice and not prosecute Igo…Karkaroff," She corrected herself.

"I will remind you _I am_ your professor, so not to use that language towards me. And no, I just think you a fool, so you obviously need a bit more work," He smirked sarcastically. Ella felt her face flush with anger.

"You don't know what it was like," She hissed quietly to ensure Fred wouldn't hear and come bursting in. She slammed her hand on the table in shear frustration and anger as he responded with a low false chuckle.

"So what was it like to flaunt yourself around at him? Winding him up then just dropping him up?" He had now spun round to face her. Ella couldn't describe what came over her as she smacked her potions professor clean across the face.

"I did NO such thing," She said, shaking with fury. "HE came on to me! He was the one to start the affair and _he _was the one who tried to rape me!" She fell backwards, to rest on the front row bench.

"Well, forgive me for not realising," Snape said, suddenly taken aback. He looked as though he was about to cry. "5000 words on the use and dangers of bizoarres, my desk tomorrow with the others," He said before striding off into his office.

"What was that about?" Fred asked, draping his arm around Ella as she exited the class room.

"Oh, I was just convincing him to let me just do the same as the rest of you," She said casually, not daring to tell the boys what had really happened. She had hit a teacher and she didn't know how she was still in the school, but she had gotten away with it.

The three of them made their way to the common room. The evening had passed quietly, with everyone other than the twins, who were working on their new shop products, trying to get through the mammoth amounts of homework they had been set. Karkaroff had glared relentlessly at Ella all through dinner that night. Ella and Fred were walking out of the Great Hall together, George was off somewhere else trying to woo Angelina with some great romantic gesture, as Fred had put it, when Karkaroff stopped Ella by grabbing her arm and pulling her aside from the other Gryffindors.

"How dare you report me?!" He spat at her. Ella felt sick. Having him that close to her, after she had realised how dangerous he was, she couldn't help but be terrified. She desperately tried not to show how she felt, however she relaxed immensely at the sound of a comforting voice.

"And if you don't want to get put away for even longer and sooner, I suggest you get the hell away from her now," Fred hissed from behind, in a voice Ella hadn't believed his sweet, kind nature could manage. Karkaroff stepped away as he was told, obviously trying to avoid Azkaban again at all costs, in a hope the Ella might drop all the charges.

"Come on," Fred wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled close to him in reassurance, heading back up to the Gryffindor tower.

There was a knock at Fred's door as he, George and Lee Jordan were getting changed into their night wear.

"Two seconds," Lee called out in response, pulling on his trousers. After checking they were all decent, George opened the door to see who it could possibly be at this late an hour, the rest of the Gryffindor house had gone to bed hours ago. It was now well past midnight. Ella stepped in the red, puffy eyes, tear tracks still streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't sleep," She stuttered, trembling, trying to remove the evidence that she had been crying off of her face. George hugged her, telling her it wasn't a problem and welcoming her in. Fred wrapped her up in his arms as she clutched his shirt, close to sobbing again. Her skin was as pale as a sheet and her skin was hot and clammy.

"The whole thing replayed in my dream," She whispered, knowing Fred would know exactly what she was on about.

"It's fine, he can't touch you here," He said, stroking her hair soothingly. "You're sleeping in my bed with me tonight, no argument," He commanded.

"Is that okay?" She pulled out the hug, and turned to the other boys in the room. They exchanged a look with each other.

"It's not a problem with us as long as you promise there'll be nothing untoward going on while we're still in the room," George teased. Ella tossed a pillow off of Fred's bed at him in jest.

"Of course there won't be you idiot," She laughed, instantly feeling better for it. She crawled into the bed next to Fred, who held her tightly all night and for the first night in a long while she slept soundly all night.


	19. Whistle to the Chior

The weeks started to fly by. The ministry of magic had issued Igor with a letter, officially stating he was under arrest within the castle, until the end of the academic year, where he would return to Azkaban and await his trial, and therefore kept out of Ella's way. The second task was fast approaching. With only a week left to prepare for it, she still had no idea what she was preparing for.

Ella was on her way back from library, where, with Hermione's help, she'd been researching previous second tasks in the Triwizard tournament to try and at least prepare her possible scenarios. However, she decided it would be very little help as each of the previous send tasks had all been completely different. Whilst in stuck inside her own head, she heard a voice call her name. She looked up to see the tall, handsome hufflepuff, who she knew to be Cedric Diggory, a fellow champion, jogging towards her.

"Hey Cedric," She said casually, wondering why he called her considering they had never really spoke more than two words before.

"I was just wondering how you were getting on with deciphering the egg?" He asked, stopping next to her.

"Still not got a clue, all it does is screech when I open it. Same for you?"

"Well, actually no. That's why I wanted to speak to you. After you and Harry tipped me off about the dragons I thought I should repay the favour," Cedric said, starting to look a bit embarrassed, for reasons Ella didn't know.

"Oh, really!" She exclaimed, "Gee, thanks Ced,"

"Well, I've already told Harry to mull it over in the bath but I felt bad for being so cryptic because I'm not entirely sure he's figured it out," He explained, "Anyway, from what I gather it's going to be in the black lake, and we have an hour to retrieve something. What, I don't know. Sorry if it's not much help," He said looking all embarrassed again.

"NOT MUCH HELP?" She exclaimed, pulling him into a hug, "Oh Cedric, you've just completely saved my arse with this one. Thank you ever so much," She released and they both walked off, talking about the task ahead.

"Oh, and I'm glad to see you're staying here," He nodded towards her uniform as he bode her farewell and parted towards the Hufflepuff common room. Ella ran her fingers over the gold and red lining of the neck of her jumper wistfully.

"I'm glad too," She whispered to herself.

"Hey, where've you been?" Fred asked as she joined him and Fred on the table in the corner of their common room.

"Just been at the library, preparing for this bloody task in a few days," She said, still stressing about how she was meant to hold her breath for an hour.

"Any luck?" George said, finishing scribbling something down on what looked like an order form.

"Not at first, but then I ran into Cedric Diggory," She said, deciding she trust the twins not to say anything about the slight bending of the rules.

"And…" Fred suddenly listening very intently when he heard that she had been speaking to the older boy.

"He wanted to repay me for tipping him off about the dragons so he told me what it's going to be," She half mumbled, not sure whether Fred would assume that Cedric was flirting.

"Oh," He said, obviously taken a back, "That's amazing," He hugged her, George following. She thanked them and explained what she knew of the task.

"Well, we were just going to go down to the pitch and practise a bit of quidditch, if you want to come," George asked, standing up from his seat.

"We know it's cancelled this year, but that doesn't stop us from practising, does it?" Fred teased at Ella's confused look.

"Of course I will," She jumped up, throwing an arm over each boys' shoulders.

"What's got into you?" George asked, amused, referring to her big dopey grin.

"It just feels right, you know. Being here, I mean," She chuckled and wrapped her arms tighter around her boyfriend and best friend.

They reached the pitch, the air light and breezy with a February chill.

"Perfect conditions," Ella said, in mockery of the two quidditch obsessed boys.

"You play much? Never really had Beauxbatons down as a quidditch playing school," Fred pondered.

"It's not but you think it's possible to be practically baby sat by Viktor Krum all summer and not get dragged into playing it all. Actually quite enjoyed it though, flying really clears your head," She said as all three of the still gazed over the still quidditch pitch. The boys both nodded in agreement and they went to get their brooms.

"So what position do you normally play?" George enquired as they were flying round together, gently warming up.

"Well, I always competed against Viktor to make him practise getting the snitch but I'm really not a seeker. I'm probably more of a chaser," She shrugged, "Are you two gonna go at this pace all day," She teased, effortlessly pulling ahead, slicing the air.

"Catch us," They said in sync, speeding past her again. The three chased and darted around the pitch on their brooms, zooming in and out of the goal posts in a race. Finally, they let lose the bludgers and the got out the quaffle and started practising. The twins practising defending Ella, sending the bludgers flying whenever they approached and Ella practised receiving the quaffle from one of the boys before proceeding to try and get it through one of the goal posts. Much to the boys' amazement, she managed to get it in almost every time, despite claiming to only be a novice.

"You have to go for try outs," George proclaimed, as they dismounted their brooms, excited with the new Gryffindor talent they'd found.

"I can throw a quaffle, I'm not that good," She laughed, going bright Ella. George just raised his eyebrows quizzically to see if she was being serious.

"Are you kidding?!" Fred scoffed, "You are _really _good!"

The three ran, laughed and messed around all the way back to the Gryffindor common room. The time for dinner soon came, the sight of her brother, reminding her that she needed to pass on Cedric's information. She was just about to tell him, what he revealed his revelation in the prefect's bathroom, whilst he been bathing with the peculiar screeching egg. All their friends listened in fascinated.

"What I want to know, is why Cedric was bathing with that wretched egg thing anyway?!" Fred announced, causing the whole table to erupt into side-splitting laughter.

* * *

Later that evening, the only students left in the common room were George and Angelina sat in the far corner on their own, Harry, Hermione, Ron, a couple of second years, Lee Jordan trying to chat up Alicia and Fred and Ella. The trio, Fred, Ella, Alicia, Katie and Lee were all talking about what Harry and Ella could possibly have to retrieve in the second task.

"Are you not scared? I mean how are you meant to find something, that you might not even know exists," He questioned.

"I wasn't until you've just said that," Ella said, playfully tossing a cushion she had been leaning on whilst they were all lounging on the floor, across the circle in which they were sat, at him.

"All I'm worrying about is how the hell we're meant to be under water for an hour," Harry fretted.

"Shit, forgot about that part," She laughed, feeling far too relaxed at the whole situation. The task was only in five days and she still hadn't even thought about how she was going to accomplish it. After about another half an hour of chatting, cracking each other up with various, jokes, people gradually started to peel off to bed. Fred pulled Ella, who had been sat next to him for the duration of that conversation, closer to him by the waist.

"When will the rest of the bugger off to bed, so we have some time alone," He whispered in her ear, his hot breath sending a tingle down her neck. She laughed, hushing him but still leaning in close to him.

"Oh get a room," Lee Jordan said at the top of voice from the other side of the circle, purposely diverting everyone's attention to the couple.

"Would if we could," Fred said bluntly, wrapping his arm around Ella's shoulder so she could cuddle in his warm, comforting chest, kissing the top of her head.

"And with that, I'm going to bed," Harry got up, Ron in tow, "Night everyone," He said walking off, Hermione also heading off to her own dorm.

"I forgot how hard it was to get somewhere alone in this bloody place. Soon we're going to have to resort to using a broom cupboard," He joked, whispering into her hair.

"Hmmm," Ella was thinking, furiously trying to come up with a solution, "Oh, I've got an idea!" She exclaimed, jerking apart from her boyfriend in her excitement.

"Care to share this brilliant enlightenment," Fred chuckled, amused at her.

"Later," She said, as she was distracted by a tapping at the window.

"You have the attention span of a fish at times, you know that?" He mused, as Ella made her way over to the window. She opened it and a large, stone coloured owl flew gracefully in, perching on the back of the sofa. She saw the letter attached to its foot was addressed to her. She swiftly removed the letter from the bird's foot and opened it hurriedly, recognising the hand writing on the side to be that of her brother's god father.

_Ella,_

_I'm so sorry about what happened with the little git. I feel partially responsible as it was me that completely pushed you into transferring, despite knowing it would most likely anger him. I hope you are okay now, and be assured, if I ever get my hands on him, well put it this way, you won't be getting bothered by him anymore. Keep me posted if you find out anymore of his extra activities, though I suppose they've all been put on hold for now. Are you any further on deciphering what the next task could be? I did speak to Dumbledore, who spoke to Ludo Bagman, who said that you would still have to compete for Durmstrang seen as that is the school you attended when you were entered, but don't let it bother you. Just send an owl if you ever need anything and tell Harry again how great it was seeing the two of you at Christmas._

_Love, Padfoot_

Ella read and reread the letter. There was something about Sirius that made her feel safe when he was around. He was less of a parentally figure, and more of a big brother cross with a best friend that may as well be family. Harry had been right when they first spoke, the three of them were a little family, even if it did consist of a falsely convicted fugitive, 'the chosen one', despite being the mere age of 16, a girl who had already been on the run and attended the three different wizarding schools of Europe and all of them had a knack for finding trouble to run into.

"Who's that from?" Fred asked curiously at her grin.

"Sirius," She grinned, sitting at a table, pulling a piece of parchment and quill out of her satchel that had been lying on a spare chair all day, to write a reply while she remembered. Fred made his way over to her, taking the next seat.

"I've always liked him. I mean I haven't really had much to do with him until this holiday but from what I'd heard from ickle Ronnikins from Harry, he really seems to have your best interests and I can agree with anyone who wants to help me keep you out of trouble. God knows it's a hard enough job," He teased her. Ella shot him a glare only to crumple and start laughing within a matter of seconds. She just couldn't stay mad at him and it was infuriating.

_Padfoot,_

_I'm fine now, barely feel my injuries. Don't you dare feel guilty, nothing makes me happier that being a Hogwarts student, so don't think you were wrong to get me transferred for a second. The Hufflepuff champion, Cedric Diggory, actually worked it out and told us, seen as we tipped him about the first task. We have an hour to retrieve something from the black lake, but what, I don't know. You wouldn't know of a way to stay under water for a long time would you? Harry and I are at a bit of a loss. I'll owl you if I hear of anything more about Karkaroff._

_Stay safe, Ella_


	20. The Second Task

Chapter 26

The night before the second task, Ella sat up late with Fred in the common room, desperately wracking their brains and trawling through book after book to decide how on earth she was going to manage to search the black lake for an hour, for an unknown object, without coming up for air. It was nearing midnight when Fred slammed the 5th book he had picked up shut.

"Please can you just ask what Cedric is doing for it," Fred pleaded once again, desperate to use their time alone for other uses.

"He's already helped a ridiculous amount, I will ask Harry before I ask Cedric for anything else," She said stubbornly. He gave her a sly grin, his eyes glinting wickedly. "What?" She asked, half infuriated, half irritated.

"You're sexy when you're stubborn," He stated bluntly, standing up from his chair, making his way over to Ella.

"Oh, am I now?" She said laughing, biting her lip as he neared her.

"Well, you always are and not being able to be with you every night is killing me," He took her hands in his and pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. "Now, I can think of better ways to put our time to use." He placed a hand under her chin, tilting her head to face him, as his other hand wrapped around her waist, so as he could feel her hot body against his. He leant down, grazing his lips on hers, before pulling apart slightly, still lingering his over hers tantalisingly. Every inch of Ella's body wanted him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips back onto hers. He parted his slightly, running his tongue over her bottom lip, asking to gain entry. She obliged, tilting her head further back, allowing the kiss to deepen. It was hot and passionate. Ella felt herself go slightly light headed with the rush. There was something about Fred Weasley that had that effect on her like no other guy had had before.

Just then they heard the portrait swing open and the sound of someone in heels entering the common room. The pair separated quickly, both turning red, Ella looking guilty and Fred looking oddly proud.

"Mr Weasley, if you could accompany me to my office quickly," Professor McGonagall ordered promptly. Fred just looked between his professor and his girlfriend, at a loss as why he would be needed at this hour.

"But professor, I was just helping Ella prepare for tomorrow," He stammered, hoping to get off from going.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. If you could come with me, please, and Miss Potter you should probably rest for it's going to be a long hard day, for you tomorrow," And with that she turned and exited the room, holding the portrait open, waiting for Fred to follow her.

"Good night and good luck. Try to get some sleep," He hugged her tightly. She pecked him quickly, painfully aware that their head of house could still hear everything.

"I love you," He rested his forehead on hers, before giving her another kiss, this one lasting marginally longer, then followed McGonagall out of the room.

Ella couldn't believe it. Fred Weasley, the player, womanizer and heart breaker of Hogwarts was in love with her. It was the first time anyone had ever told Ella this, apart from Damien, who knew he was sure to get laid after he told her the three words she longed to hear. This thought made her hesitate. What if Fred was just going to end up hurting her as Damien had? Surely, if he's used to having any girl he wants at his beck and call, for a quickie in a broom cupboard, why would he change? She shook her head. She was being silly and she knew it. Fred was different. He hadn't done it to get into her knickers, in fact he had said it as he was leaving to follow the deputy head mistress, and therefore sex was probably one the last things on his mind. However, she couldn't help the thought of Fred having her on for a laugh, entering her mind and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push it out. After a couple of hours of tossing and turning, various thoughts of the day ahead and of Fred flying madly around her head, sleep took pity on her and her eyelids drooped as she entered a patchy, disturbed sleep.

Ella woke a few hours later, to the sound of her roommates snoring. She got up quietly, careful not to wake them, and headed to get a shower. Once showered, she used a simple drying charm to dry her hair and twisted it into a simple, neat braid falling down her back, before, begrudgingly, getting dressed into her Durmstrang robes. Returning to her room, she grabbed her Durmstrang swim suit, which was a deep, coffee brown with a burgundy trim. She looked disgustedly at the distastefully low V-neckline of the swimsuit which had uncoincidentally been designed by her previous headmaster, and stuffed it in her bag for the lake side. She headed to the common room, to find her brother sat broodingly in the arm chair, looking even more nervous than herself if possible.

"Hey," She said softly, gently sitting on the arm of his chair. Careful not to startle him, she gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"

"I cannot wait until this god dam awful tournament," He stated in reply, not really answering her question.

"You figured out how you going to manage to stay down there that long?" She asked, caringly.

"Gillyweed, not a clue what it is but apparently it'll work. How you going to do it?" He asked, finally seeming to snap out of his trance slightly.

"Erm…well that's the thing. I haven't actually thought of anything yet," Ella admitted hesitantly.

"Are you being serious!?" Harry snapped, actually sounding angry with her.

"Well, yeah. I just thought I would get there and sort of come up with something,"

"Are you stupid?" He snapped harshly, immediately regretting it seeing the hurt look on his sister's face. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what I'd do without you now," He gave her a small smile. "Use some of my Gillyweed," He said as more of an order than a request. Ella nodded and the pair sat quietly enveloped in their own thoughts, yet thankful for each other's company, waiting until it was time for breakfast.

Ella stood at the side of the lake, suddenly start to feel overwhelmed by the nerves that had been previously lacking. It was almost as though they had all been bottled up and that bottle had suddenly been opened, flooding her with them, turning her into a slight jittery wreck. The crowd was starting to gather behind her on her the stands. She sat on the edge of the stand, dipping her feet in the freezing winter water. The temperature of the water had been a factor that had completely escaped her mind whilst preparing for this task, and she was kicking herself for doing so now.

The stands were pretty much full now and the other champions began to take their places at the edge of the stand with their mentors. Ella looked around for her friends, as it suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't seen Fred yet that day, as she saw George stood on his own, also seeming to be scanning the crowd, when the pair's eyes met. He instantly realised she was doing the same as him and approached her.

"Hey, Ella. Have you seen Fred anywhere?" George asked, a certain usual spark lacking from his tone.

"No, I assumed he'd be with you," Ella replied, her nerves starting to tip her over the edge, "When did you last see him?"  
"Errr, he never came to bed last night. I assumed he'd be with you," George rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Ella's mind went into overdrive at this revelation. _What if something had happened to him on the way back from McGonagall's? _

"He was but then he was called to McGonagall's office late last night and I haven't seen him since," She rushed out, now scanning the crowd for her head of house. "Professor!" She yelled as she spotted her. However, her voice was drowned out by the voice of Ludo Bagman, announcing the close beginning of the second task, over the magical tannoy.

When Ella turned back around, George had disappeared back into the crowd, presumably to look for his twin again. A tall lean figure bumped into her arrogantly in passing.

"Oh, I didn't see you," The boy said in a condescending tone, wearing a smirk that made Ella instantly take a strong disliking to him.

"Of course," She rolled her eyes and began to turn away when he spoke again.

"I do believe we've never been introduced. Draco Malfoy," He stuck his hand out self-righteously, demanding a response.

"Ella Potter," She replied coldly, refusing to shake his hand. At this, he promptly turned to the boys following him around like love sick groupies and sneered;

"Come on, not sure I want to waste my time on someone who can't even recognise her superiors." Indicating to his own blood status. "It's a mystery what happened to all the polite purebloods around here," He said as he left.

After breathing a sigh of relief that that infuriating encounter was over, she felt a harsh, cold hand land heavily on her shoulder.

"Don't embarrass me out there" Karkaroff hissed in her ear menacingly, sending a chill down her spine. She shook his hand off, still looking straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with the man.

"Whether I do well or not, it will be for me and me alone. Not for you or your precious school, and whatever you say to won't influence me either way, so jut bare that in mind," She said cooly, still staring out to the lake. He just muttered some undistinguishable curses and marched back off to Viktor. Since she had transferred, Krum had barely exchanged two words with Ella, despite their previous closeness. It saddened her to think of it, but she told herself if he was going to take Igor's side over her own on this, then he wasn't worth it.

"Will the champions please step up to the side now," Bagman's voiced echoed over the lake, inducing a silence in the waiting crowd. Ella exchanged a glance at Harry, who gave a small smile in return.

"Good luck Miss Potter," The calming voice of her headmaster, came from her side. She nodded a thanks as he moved off.

"When the cannon fires, the task may begin!" Bagman announced. Within milliseconds, the cannon sounded a loud boom, thundering in her ears. She quickly gulped down the vile tasting gillyweed before diving in, emerging herself into the ice cold water. She looked down to see webs knitting themselves in between her extremities. She swan off hastily, in an effort to get out of the biting water and to find where on earth her boyfriend had gotten to. With swift, graceful movements of her limbs, Ella began to travel through the icy water at decent pace, constantly remaining on the lookout for something that could be classed as a treasure.

After what felt like a lifetime, she began to think about what in Merlin's name this unforthcoming treasure could be. All the champions had been told, was that it was something that had been taken from each one of them. With a violent shudder, she came to horrific a realisation of what it might be. She hadn't been able to Fred this morning, just as Harry hadn't been able to find either of his friends, one of which coincidently happened to be dating none other than Viktor Krum, her fellow Durmstrang champion, who had also had something, or someone, taken. Just as she began to tell herself it couldn't be possible, she came to a clearing where five motionless human bodies, swayed side to side stiffly with the lake's current, tethered down. Her stomach lurched as she stopped in her tracks, and stared dumbly at the sight before her. Just as she started to panic, Ella saw a large bulky figure, whom she recognised to be the other Durmstrang competitor, untether the second smallest of the still girls. Within a matter of moments after he swam away, Cedric Diggory untethered a second person and pulled them upwards, towards the surface with him.

Deciding she had already waited too long, Ella started to swim rather frantically towards the three remaining lifeless figures. As she neared, the signature flaming ginger hair of the Weaselys' told her that two of the treasures were indeed her boyfriend and her younger brother's best friend. Despite being underwater, her mouth dried up in anticipation. She spotted another figure moving swiftly towards the figures from the opposite direction. Harry, after shooting Ella a look mirroring what she was thinking, began to try and undo the knot that clamped Ron down. His nerves were obviously getting the better of him as he fumbled hopelessly. Ella signalled to him to move out of the way as she sent a jet of light from her wand to base of the tether, freeing Ron, before turning back to Fred and doing the same.

Just as she was about to set off to the surface, Harry beckoned her back, pointing to the one remaining 'treasure'. Ella instantly read what he was thinking. The time allowance was drawing to a close and there had still been no sign of Fleur. On top of this, Ella was quite fond of Gabrielle from her dealings with her at Beauxbatons. She had always been a sweet young girl, quite opposite to her conceited sister. She shot another burst of light to where Gabrielle was tied, allowing her to begin to float away, still lifeless in her movements. Ella quickly began to swim over to the floating girl, still clutching onto Fred, when she was surrounded by mermaids. However, these merfolk, bared little resemblance to the ones portrayed in children's stories. Their skin was a dull, deathly grey and their hair was a dark, unpleasant green. One warningly grabbed Ella around the neck, causing her to cling tighter onto Fred's vacant body.

"Only one," It hissed viciously, before they disappeared as suddenly as they appeared. Taking a quick glance around to check, none were too close, Ella darted to Gabrielle, taking a firm hold of her, and swimming as quick as she could to the surface. She could still see Harry only a few metres above her, as he was keeping a watchful eye over his sister, whilst she took her risk.

The surface began to come into focus and the pair thought they had gotten away uncaught. However, within mere metres of the surface, the merepeople caught up and grabbed and clung to Ella's angles, wailing ear splittingly. They began to drag her down, unforgivingly. Realising her fight was quite useless, she pushed the lifeless bodies up towards her brother in hope that he might escort them to surface. The rotten grey creatures clawed at her legs, pulling her deeper into the lake. Harry and the others were now out of sight due to the mass of livid merpeople, angered by her disobedience, surrounding her. She hoped desperately that they had all made it to the stands to safety. She cursed Fleur inwardly for being so cowardly, endangering her sister, before she reminded herself the Fleur wasn't to have known it was her sister she had given up on trying to find. Ella felt her ability to breath, decrease, until she was left almost completely unable to do so. Her eyelids grew heavy as she was continually being dragged down and clawed at. She looked down to the water around her legs tinged red, with the blood the merpeople had drawn. A thought of Fred flashed through her mind, willing her not to give up. Suddenly aware once more that she was, in fact, carrying her wand, Ella wracked her brain for spells to get her out of their grasps.

"Bombarda Maxima!" Ella said, with as much assertion as she could muster. A large explosion was produced, causing all the previously attacking merpeople to drop and disappear deeper into the unknown of the black lake. Suddenly painfully aware of how far away from the surface she was, and how little energy she had due the cold and lack of lack of breath she pointed her wand above her head."Ascendio," She said in barely a whisper, putting all her remaining energy and determination into it. She shot to the surface, the weakness of her conviction, only just getting her to the base of the steps onto the main stand.

"She's here!" She heard a voice yell, yet it sounded distant and she couldn't connect what was going on around her. She felt herself being hoisted out of the water and laid on her side on the floor of the stand. The heaviness in her eyelids doubled as her vision became increasingly blury and sounds she heard began to make less and less sense, until she gave in and allowed her eyelids to fall shut, causing her world to go black.


	21. Discoveries

Chapter 27

"Ella can you hear me?" A voice said, sounding distant. Everything sounded like it was a long way away and nothing was really fitting into place. "Where the hell is Madame Pomfrey?!" He snapped.

"She's on her way, please try and stay calm Mr Weasley," An older and wiser voice now spoke. Ella was now becoming conscious of the fact she was lying on hard surface, and that the voices she could here, were indeed right next to her. She slowly tried to prise her eyes open, however they just fluttered slightly before shutting once again, not that Fred hadn't noticed this slight movement.

"Professor, she's coming round!" He announced, still leaning over her head, refusing to tear his intense gaze from her face. "Ella, hun, can you hear me?"

The voice of her boyfriend brought back some memories, giving her a vague recollection of what had happened. She opened her eyes once again, this time, despite struggling, she kept them open.

"She's awake!" He announced to his professor once more, this time with a higher urgency. "How you feeling?" He asked her, stroking her wet, warm, dark brunette hair. She smiled weakly in response, as the words got caught in her throat. Fred, however, thought it sufficient and leant down, kissing her forehead. "You gave me a right old scare. Madame Pomfrey's on her way," He told her.

Just as the words left his mouth, he heard the school nurse scolding the crowds of students, in an effort to get through to the injured girl. She promptly kneeled beside her, waving her wand in various patterns, muttering incantations under her breath.

"Blood pressure's good, as is her heart beat, her blood oxygen level's a bit on the low side but that's to be expected really seen as she nearly drowned." The nurse rattled, "How are you feeling, dear?" She asked more gently, talking directly to Ella now.

"Better," Ella wheezed in a breathy whisper, which was all she could manage.

"That's a lie," Madame Pomfrey replied bluntly, "come on, let's get you up to the hospital." She conjured a stretcher so as Fred could lift her onto it as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

She woke again several hours later, this time in a clean white room. Her head was now pounding and her body ached all over. She rolled over and opened to her eyes, to see her boyfriend clutching her hand tightly, peering intently at her.

"Where am I?" She questioned cautiously, still obviously dazed.

"You're in the hospital wing. How you feeling?" He asked, squeezing her hand gently.

"Like shit to be honest," She replied, causing Fred to laugh.

"Well, at least you're still the same, blunt Ella we all know and love," Ella couldn't help but laugh at this remark, causing her to wince in pain. "I'll go notify Madame Pomfrey you've woken, she said she wanted to speak to you when you woke," Her stood to leave, carefully kissing her forehead.

Fred returned moments later followed by Madame Pomfrey.

"Thank you, Mr Weasley. Now can I ask you to step outside for a minute or two whilst I talk to Miss Potter privately," She requested politely. Fred looked thoroughly confused, exchanging a glance with Ella who just look worried, before nodding and proceeding out of the hospital wing.

"How are you feeling, Miss Potter?" Ella was getting sick to the back teeth of being asked this, however this time she replied a bit more politely,

"Rough," Madame Pomfrey nodded before pressing on.

"Now may I ask you a few questions?" She asked cautiously. Ella nodded, starting to guess what the mediwitch wanted.

"Have you recently been experiencing any nausea?" She asked, as Ella, unable to answer verbally nodded. "Have you had any tenderness in your breasts? Or any irregularity in menstruation?" She questioned.

"You can stop there, I know I'm pregnant," Ella said shortly, looking to the floor.

"Ah, indeed you are Miss Potter. May I ask how far along you think you might be? Or how long you've known?" She said, giving the younger girl a pitiful look.

"I'll be about 2 and a half months now, and I kind of guessed when I started to get the symptoms, but I just thought if I didn't find out either way then it might go away," She mumbled, ashamed of her naivety.

"Very well, and the father? Does he know? Or is he on the scene?" She asked, concerned.

"He is around but he doesn't have a clue and I'm not sure whether I should tell him," Ella replied, looking the nurse in the eyes for the first time.

"That only leaves one last question then, are you going to keep it?"

"I…I don't know," She stuttered, as a solitude tear rolled down her cheek.

"This is a very large decision to make on your own, Miss Potter. It is for anyone, but especially for a girl as young as yourself. I could arrange for you to talk to your head of house, as she will have to be informed of your predicament anyway as she is responsible for your pastoral care," She suggested.

Ella shook her head, embarrassed at the thought of admitting to her highly respected transfiguration teacher that she had been stupid enough to get herself knocked up when she hadn't even taken her O. yet. Hell, she was 16 years old, with little family and nowhere to live away from school. How on earth was she going to cope?

"She might surprise you, you know. She's not there to judge, but to help, and she's mighty good at it as well," Madame placed a reassuring hand on the young girls shoulder.

"Okay," She nodded slowly, "But would you be able to ask Fred to come back later as I need some time to think." The mediwitch nodded, before exiting the room, leaving Ella to mull over all her possible options. A thought which was so consuming, not long after the nurse had come back through and announced that her boyfriend was coming back at dinner time, sleep had engulfed her into darkness once more.

**Ooo, you probably weren't expecting, or maybe I'm just predictable and you were :p let us know what you think and review! Sorry it was slightly shorter than usual but the last one was long so we'll compromise :3 The next update won't be until after next week as I'm on another DofE expedition, enjoy reading and remember that reviews make the pen flow faster **

**xoxo C**


	22. Hormones &Denial, a deadly combination?

Chapter 28

Ella woke to the sound of rain lashing down on the windows of the hospital wing. It was a cold, dark, miserable Saturday morning after the dreadful second task. The events and revelations of the day before suddenly came back to her. She longed to speak to Fred, but she daren't. He'd know instantly that she was hiding something from him and she couldn't possibly tell him. She hadn't even made her own mind up about it, never mind having anyone else's input.

Just then, disturbing her from her pool of thought, Madame Pomfrey came bustling in carrying a well presented breakfast tray, b-lining straight for Ella, whom was her only patient.

"Morning, Miss Potter," She said cheerfully, "how are we feeling today?"

"A lot better thanks," Ella forced a smile back, lying through her teeth but refusing to go into details of just how crap she felt.

"Good good," She said, briskly placing the tray onto Ella's lap as she had now sat up.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really not hungry today," Ella said, trying to push the tray of food away.

"I'm not taking any excuse. Now you're not only looking after yourself, you don't get to not eat because you don't feel like it. You have to eat because they'll have to," Madame Pomfrey said in an almost motherly tone, indicating towards her stomach.

Ella considered what she had just been told, and decided the nurse was right and pulled the tray back towards her. That was the first time it had really dawned on her. If she decided to keep this baby, she would never again be able to put herself first. She would always have someone else to look after. This thought scared the living day lights out of her, so she quickly pushed it out of her mind.

"I've decided to discharge you before lunch, now you're well rested," Ella nodded in agreement as she cut up her pancake into manageable chunks and sipped her pumpkin juice, "However, don't think I've forgotten that you agreed to talk to Professor McGonagall for me. She'll be calling to see you in about half an hour or so." Madame Pomfrey finished. Ella nodded solemnly, seriously not looking forward to the awkward talk with her head of house that lay ahead.

As promised, within half an hour, Professor McGonagall walked swiftly into the hospital wing. Greeting the mediwitch, she headed over to her student with a grave, sympathetic look on her face.

"Madame Pomfrey has informed me of your situation," She started, trying to break the silence, whilst Ella stared, fixated at the ground. All she got in response was a small nod. "She also informed me that you were unsure of what to do?" She said this, more in a questioning manner, in attempt to try and get the young girl to talk.

"That's correct, I really don't know," Ella replied straightly.

"May I ask whether the father is a student?" Ella faltered at this question, the words getting caught in her throat. "Please, dear. You can tell me. Is it Igor Karkaroff?"

"No," Ella shook her head, tears now falling down her face, "I don't think so, I'd have to be about 4 months along, which I'm not I don't think,"

"My dear, is it Fred Weasley?" She asked in a kind, calming tone, placing a reassuring hand on her crying girl's arm. Ella nodded.

"He's the only really possible option, but oh professor I don't know what to do," She frantically wiped her tears away, in an effort to seem strong despite the tears becoming increasingly frequent.

"Have you told him? See what he would want to do?"

"I haven't," She admitted, "but he'll want to keep it because he's kind, caring and loves his family. He's also a year older, who knows, I might have been up for it if this had happened next year but I've only just turned 16! How am I meant to manage? And on top of all that Fred and I haven't exactly been together for a while and it's certainly nothing serious. Neither of us are the serious, commitment type," She started to pull herself together as she tried to tell herself that she had to be rational.

"I understand, I really do. And ultimately, it is your body so you can do as you wish but as your teacher and someone with a fair bit of experience, I would urge you to speak to him. If you never do and make a decision without thinking through all the options thoroughly, you may come to regret it," She said pensively, not that Ella noticed her sudden change in tone through her own frantic thoughts.

"No offence intended, professor, but you don't understand how scared I am. I'm still a kid, I can't even look after myself, never mind someone else," She stammered, fighting back the new tears that were threatening to descend down her face.

"That's where you're wrong, Miss Potter. I know exactly how you feel. I, myself, was actually in your predicament myself 44 years ago, when I was about your age. However, I had no one to speak to about it, as I would have been shunned and scorned by society in my time. I convinced myself that getting rid of it was the only option and so I did so, without so much as breathing a word about it to the father," She told Ella honestly.

"Oh Professor, I had no idea. I'm so sorry,"

"Don't worry my dear, you were not to know,"

"Was it the right decision?" Ella asked, looking McGonagall in the eyes for the first time since she'd entered the room that day.

"In some ways, yes and in others, not at all. I finished my education and have lead a good career that I love, but then I have never had any children since and I often do think about what I have missed out on. I often stay up late wondering whether it would have been a girl or a boy. Or what, if I had kept them, they would be doing now. It's safe to say, it's never left me. The guilt of killing an innocent life, my own child, and the guilt of never letting the father know. After all, it was his child that I killed too," Ella saw the stern, hard exterior her professor was famous for having, starting to crumble. It was McGonagall's turn to break the eye contact as she straightened up her skirt, standing. "I hope this has helped you in your decision, Elspeth,"

"Please, professor, call me Ella. And yes it has, thank you for telling me," and with that Professor McGonagall walked out the room with nothing other than a polite nod.

Ella was discharged late morning, as promised, and headed straight for lunch in the Great Hall. By going relatively early, well for Gryffindors on a Saturday morning in a year where quidditch had been cancelled, she hoped that she would avoid Fred. However this was not to be the case. She had sat with her brother, Ron, Hermione and Katie Bell, picking a particularly delicious looking Egg Mayonnaise sandwich up, as they were always her favourite. Just as she was about to stand up to leave, the twins jogging into lunch, sitting themselves either side of her.

"Have you been avoiding us?" George asked mockingly. "It's like ever since she came joint second yesterday, she's far too important for us peasants," He teased, turning to his twin.

"I what?" She asked in disbelief. After everything since she'd been in the hospital wing, she had completely forgotten about where she'd come. "But how?" Ella asked.

"Well you saved that little Gabrielle as well as old Freddie boy here, didn't you," He explained. Ella looked over to Fred for the first time, to see him staring at his plate in embarrassment. The conversation, as it always did with the boys, lead straight back to quidditch. After a short while, Ella excused herself from the table, as she felt her Egg Mayo sandwich making its way back up. She dashed at top speed to the nearest toilets on the second floor.

She cleaned herself up, removing any trace of vomit from around her mouth.

"Bloody brilliant," She said to herself as she exited the bathroom.

"You know, talking to yourself is often the first sign of madness," Fred stood from the wall on which he had been leaning. It made Ella jump violently.

"Then maybe I am but please never creep up on me like that again," She laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist. There was something about him that always made her smile, and it scared her. Everything in her mind was screaming for her to just have an abortion. She knew she couldn't handle it. They both couldn't; they were still kids.

"You had me scared stiff yesterday, you know," He said, ignoring her comment.

"Well, so did you when I saw you floating lifelessly," She admitted, looking down at her feet.

"Fine, we'll call it a draw," He joked, "We're even, and seen as we've sorted that issue out, there's something I've been waiting to do for far too long now," He stopped walking at put his other arm around the her other side, pulling her into a passionate kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, sneakily. The fact he had been worried about her was obvious. He held her like he would never be able to hold her again. Each kiss was so passionate and intense, it was though each one would be their last.

Backing her up onto the wall, he smiled smugly, before moving his lips down to her neck, plaving chaste kisses along her jaw line. He began to trace his hand over her body, as she felt his arousal against her leg.

"Fred," She moaned into his hair, which her hands were clenching. All her worries of the past 24hours had been forgotten, all she could think of was Fred and how much she wanted him. Just then, he slipped a hand up her shirt, delicately tracing patterns on her stomach with his fingers. The concentration on her stomach was enough to bring Ella crashing back down to reality. She hastily pushed him away, making sure to cover herself up.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked, seriously confused.

"I'm just not really in the mood, I guess," She said, walking away briskly. Although she knew she wasn't big enough for him to really notice, certainly not by sight, she didn't want to risk it. If she did decide to speak to Fred, as McGonagall had advised, then she wanted it to be on her terms, not because he was getting curious as to why her stomach kept growing. She dashed up to the Gryffindor tower, Fred hot on her tail, where she ascended up the girl's dormitory stairs immediately upon arrival.

Both Lee Jordan and George had been sat in the common room when Ella had come storming through, closely followed by Fred.

"What was that about?" Lee asked, bemused.

"I haven't got a clue," He slumped into the chair next to his twin and his best friend, releasing a loud sigh, "one minute were making out, and pretty heavily might I add," He added with a slight smirk, "but then she just went all weird, pushed me off of her and stormed off up here."

"Girls and their hormones, eh?" George teased his twin.

"I think it might be something more serious, we need to talk but at this rate I'll have to lock her in a room and confiscate her wand to get a word out of her!" He declared, frustrated.


	23. Confrontation

Chapter 29

Over a week had passed, it was now Monday, and Ella and Fred had still barely exchanged two words. The pair had been going to lessons like normal but Ella refused to say a word if she didn't have to, leaving Fred completely bewildered to what on earth he could have possibly done.

One afternoon, the pair had double potions together, and thanks to George and Angelina's still blossoming relationship, they were forced to become lab partners.

"Problem, Potter?" Snap sneered in passing with a wry smirk, in response to Ella moving her books and her seat significantly further down the bench as Fred came to join her. She turned her nose up in the air as Fred got closer.

Snape stood at the front of the class, asking for silence, and begin to dictate some notes for the students to copy down.

"What is wrong with you?" Fred snapped quietly, as she backed further away when he had lent over to dip his quill in her ink. The way she had been ignoring him had been diving him insane. It had him question what their relationship even was to her. He knew she didn't want anything serious, and that she was in it for a bit of fun but he seriously didn't have the patience for her games.

"Nothing," She hissed back.

"Then why won't you talk or even look at me!" He demanded furiously.

"Miss Potter, Mr Weasley 10 points from Gryffindor and if you don't want to spend your evening scrubbing this classroom's floor without magic, then I seriously suggest you shut up and pay attention," Snape barked from the front. Both students nodded and put their heads down, momentarily.

"I just don't understand what I've done," Fred hissed harshly as Snape began to drone on again.

"Will you just drop it," Ella hissed back.

"No, not until I know what in Merlin's name I'm meant to have done," He announced, forgetting to be quiet.

"That's it, Miss Potter and Mr Weasley, I will see you hear at 8 o'clock Friday night, after dinner, where you will scrub every inch of this floor the muggle way," Snape smirked smugly at catching out two of his most disliked students.

"Yes sir," They both said in unison. Ella reached over and gave his shin a hard kick before returning to her work, as though she hadn't done a thing, as he yelped in pain. The pair just glared at each other before turning their attention to lesson at hand.

"Oi, Ella," Ella turned to find Angelina jogging towards her, calling out her name. Ella greeted her friend and the pair began to walk out the great hall, after dinner, together. "So what's happening with you and Fred?" Angelina asked, getting straight to the point.

"That's a good question," Ella mumbled.

"Well, from what George told me, he's still mad about you but he thinks you're not interested anymore. Aren't you?" Ella spun around full force to face her friend, abruptly stopping walking.

"Well, I'm sorry but George obviously doesn't know the ins and outs of whatever the hell is going on between Fred and me!" She snapped, her eyes glinting dangerously. Angelina pulled the pair of them into an empty classroom.

"Calm down, Ella." Angelina approached with a softer tone. "I didn't mean any offence, you know that right? I'm just worried about you. I'm saying this as your best friend here, but you've been acting odd recently. I don't know, it's just recently you've not been joining in with any conversations, you ignore most of us the majority of the time and you've gone from the warm, friendly, funny girl we all love to a cold, ignorant stranger I can barely recognise." Angelina held her breath, knowing she had probably pushed her, already irritable, friend too far. Too her upmost surprise Ella just broke down crying, leaning against the wall for support. Ella couldn't help it. She felt ridiculous, she always used to be so strong and all she seemed to be doing at the minute was balling like a big baby.

"I'm so sorry," Angelina wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her into her chest like a small child, "please tell me what's wrong," She begged.

At first Ella just shook her head repeatedly, pulling away from Angelina, keeping her eyes strictly on the floor.

"I can't," She murmured, trying to pull herself together.

"Yes, you can," Angelina persisted, resting a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'm pregnant," Ella blurted out before she could stop herself. Angelina's mouth hung open in shock at this revelation.

"H…How long have you known?" She stuttered out, recomposing herself.

"I had a feeling for a while, but Madame Pomfrey confirmed it when I was in the hospital wing last week," She admitted. She loved her best friend for so many reasons, but one of the main ones was definitely how easy she was to talk to and how trust worthy she was.

"And I'm guessing Fred doesn't know?" Ella just shook her head in response.

"I can't tell him, not yet. I need to know what I want to do," She admitted. Everything suddenly clicked into place for Angelina. Her friend's sudden change in personality, her coldness to everyone and especially to her boyfriend. The poor girl had an awfully huge decision hanging over her, and she understood why she felt she couldn't tell Fred; he would want to keep it.

"It's fine, I'm always here if you need to talk," She comforted her, rubbing her on the back soothingly.

That night, Ella stayed up late, unable to sleep, flicking through the pages of her transfiguration textbook. She wasn't paying very much attention to what she was reading as she kept thinking about what both her friend and her professor had told her. She knew she would regret it if she never spoke to Fred but how _do_ you tell your boyfriend that you're currently barely talking to, that's he could be a father but you're not sure whether you want to keep it yet.

A tapping at the window pulled her out of the thoughts. She opened the window, letting a small smokey coloured owl fly in the room, gracefully landing on the back of the chair she had been sat on, holding out its leg, for her to untie the letter tied to it. She recognised the writing on the front immediately.

_Ella,_

_I heard about the second task from Harry. How are you? And I want the true answer, as I won't take a casual 'I'm fine' as an acceptable answer. You really had me scared. _

_Anyway, I've been talking to Dumbledore and he's pushing for you to sign your agreement of a legal guardian to make your transferral permanent. I thought you ought to meet Remus as he is your godfather, after all. We'll see you 9 o'clock sharp, in the shrieking shack on Wednesday. Ask your brother to show you how to enter safely, if he hasn't already. From what Harry's been saying, I think we need to talk. _

_Take care, _

_Padfoot_

Ella knew exactly what her brother had been writing to his godfather about. He, most likely, will have been worried about her, as he was another person on a long list of people she'd been avoiding. She sat to write a reply, smiling at the thought that she was going to meet another of her parent's best friends, and her godfather. Despite her current situation, she couldn't help but smile as she thought of her growing family which she didn't even know mere months ago.

_Padfoot,_

_I would only expect as much from you. I'm getting better, honestly, but I'll speak to properly on Wednesday. I can't wait to see you again and to meet Remus. Make sure you don't go getting yourself in any trouble,_

_Ella_

She attached the letter to the owl's leg once again, feeding it a treat before opening the window and letting it go and find the recipient.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fred sat in his room with his twin, pacing up and down. The stress of Ella not speaking to him for any apparent reason was getting to him...badly. If someone had told him he would feel physically sick with worry over his over a girl 6 months ago, he would have laughed in their face and told them where to go. Yet, here he was, doing exactly that.

"Mate, your making me dizzy," George teased his twin as he lay on his own bed, his hands behind his head.

"It's bad enough that she's been avoiding me, but the way she spoke to me. You should have heard it, Georgie, it was like we were enemies," He flung himself onto his own bed in frustration.

"Oh, it's about _her _again," George rolled his eyes in jest, "You need to speak to her, 'cause quite frankly you're driving yourself, and me, insane,"

"It would help if she didn't walk off every time I tried," He said defeated.

"Pull yourself together!" George threw a pillow at his twin, "You're Fred fricking Weasley! You can have almost any girl you want in this school. Where's your wit and charm gone?" He saw his twin's face grow even more solemn at his outburst, and got up and made his way over to Fred's sat on the end of it "Look mate I don't mean to be harsh,"

"I know you don't, and you have a point, but I just can't get her out of my head. We're really bad for each other, we fight and argue more than we don't at the minute, but somehow, it all just feels so _right_ with her," Fred rambled, "I sound crazy don't I?"

"Yep," George replied, popping the 'p', "but strangely enough; it makes sense. You need to confront her on Friday in your detention and DON'T take no for an answer. You're a Weasley twin, you can do it! Plus, it's hardly like she can just walk out of a detention is it?"

Fred knew his brother had a point. He thanked him, before they both burst into fits of laughter at how soppy their conversation had become. They sat for a while talking about quidditch until George felt his eye lids growing heavy, at which point he went back to his own bed and both twins drifted into a deep sleep.


	24. Keeping Secrets

**Sorry this one took so long to get out /: it's a long one though, so that's why. Thank you ever so much for the reviews and private messages, they really do make my day :) Hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to keep reading and reviewing :)  
xoxo -C**

Chapter 30

The next week passed exceedingly slowly, and much to Fred's annoyance, Ella had become increasingly skilful at avoiding private encounters with him. He hadn't even come close to a chance of speaking to her, and it was driving him insane. He couldn't get her out of his head. The way her hot, smooth skin felt against him replayed over and over in him mind.

Wednesday came, as did dusk, and Ella, with the permission of her headmaster, headed off in the direction of the whomping willow. Once she got to the ancient tree, she levitated a stick and put pressure on a knot in the base of the trunk, just as her brother had told her. The tree, which had previously been swishing its branches around warningly, now became relaxed and demobilised.

The passage was much longer than Ella anticipated, but she still trundled along. Suddenly, she felt a sharp twinge in her lower abdomen, causing her to momentarily lose her breath. The pain eased and she shook her head and carried on along the passage way. Finally, she arrived in the old, apparently haunted, house. It creaked quietly, as the icy March breeze disturbed its existence. She heart low, quiet talking, in one of the upstairs rooms. Following the sound of the voices, Ella carefully climbed the steps, trying desperately to listen in to what was being said. Her efforts, however, were wasted as the voices were talking too quietly.

She pushed the door open cautiously, poking her head around to make sure she was walking in on the right people. Sirius spotted her immediately, and flew over to her, flinging the old door wide open.

"Ella!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hey, Sirius," She laughed, patting the older man on the back, hinting for him to release her, which he caught on to. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The room was tattered and dusty and looked as though it hadn't been occupied for decades, which of course it hadn't. However, Sirius had managed to make it a bit more pleasant by pulling two old sofas in front of the open fire which was now spitting and cracking merrily. It was then Ella saw the second man in the room for the first time. He looked about the same age as Sirius, but covered in scars and looked much more tired and worn out than Sirius ever seemed to.

"Remus," He walked forward, offering his hand.

"Ella," She smiled, shaking his hand. He smiled sweetly at her before stepping forward and pulling her into a fatherly hug.

"I here you're in need of a legal guardian?" Remus said, taking a step back to look the girl over properly. "I'm sorry, but you look so like your mother. Apart from the hair that is, I see Prongs managed to pass on his wild locks onto both his children," He teased, ruffling her unbrushed hair. Ella laughed, swatting his hand away.

"So if Sirius is Padfoot and my dad was Prongs, what was your nick name?" She asked, interested.

"Moony," Sirius answered for him, slinging an arm over Ella's shoulders casually, "that's because of his little furry problem,"

Ella threw her head back and laughed hard at Sirius referring to Remus' condition as his 'little fury problem'. The three of them talked, laughed and then men shared stories of the 'good old days' with Ella's father.

"Oh God, the times ran away with us," Remus announced, "I'm afraid I have to go," He stood, pulling his coat around his shoulders and fastened it tightly against the cold. "It's been lovely meeting you again after all this time, Ella. It's just a shame that my condition meant you could never stay with me in the first place," He said pensively before pulling her into another fatherly embrace.

"It's not your fault," She reassured him gently, "You're here to help now, and that's all that matters 'cause God knows I need it," She said quietly letting go him, allowing him to bid farewell to his best friend.

Ella slumped onto one of the dusty old sofas that they had been sat on, absent-mindedly running a hand over her growing stomach, as the men said their goodbyes. After Remus left, Sirius turned to her, with a serious expression. It was then it occurred to Ella, how rarely he wasn't smiling and joking, and she knew he knew something was up.

"Out with it, kiddo," He sat on the arm next to her. She looked up at him with a false innocence, "Don't give me that look, something's the matter with you and I'm going to make you tell me so I know that your father wouldn't knock the shit out of me for ignoring it, if he was here," He teased.

"Sirius, I've got something I need to tell you," She stared glassily into the fire. "Oh, I've been so careless," She beat herself up, speaking more to herself than the man sat next to her.

"What is it? It can't be that bad, can it?" He said, suddenly looking very worried indeed.

"I'm pregnant," She stated with an eerily little amount of emotion.

"What?" He choked in surprise. After recomposing himself, he thought for a moment before turning round to her sharply, "Tell me it's not Karkaroff's!" He raged, her silence onl winding him up, "Tell me it's not! THE FILTHY BASTARD!" He bellowed.

"Sirius, please," She pleaded, "I'm fairly certain it's not," She assured him. He slumped down onto the sofa next to her and pulled her into a brotherly hug.

"I'm sorry," He said kindly, "Fred?" He asked. She nodded. "Does he know?" She shook her head. "Tell him,"

She looked up at him questioningly.

"He's a good lad, he'll do what's right," He rubbed her arm reassuringly.

"What if _I _don't want it though, if I tell him then have an abortion it will kill him," She stood up, her anger flaring.

"Just speak to him, either way he should know!" Sirius insisted. Ella was becoming so sick of everyone having something to say. It was her decision, why couldn't they see that?

"Just fuck off! What's it got to do with you?" She snarled.

"Because you're my late best mate's daughter, that's what!" He said sternly. She knew instantly how much of a cranky bitch she was being towards him. She asked for help, he gave her it so she shouted at him.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, sinking to the floor in front of the fire.

"No need to apologise," He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry if I got a bit vicious," She half joked.

"It's alright, viciousness seems complusery with pregnancy hormones," He teased, ruffling her hair, causing her to laugh, which set them both into uncontrollable hysterics. After they managed to gather themselves, Ella stood up to leave.

"Thanks," She muttered before heading back down the passaged way and to the castle in the dark.

Lessons dragged on Thursday and Friday as everyone dreamed of the weekend to come. Everyone in Gryffindor seemed to be in a sullen mood without their favourite pranking twosome their normal, high spirited selves. Last lesson on Friday for the twins was potions.

As they entered the room, Fred took his normal seat next to Ella. As normal since the second task, she turned away from him and barely looked or spoke to him all lesson. Snape was enjoying feeding off of the Gryffindors' bad moods, much like a dementor, and took pride in deduction house points left right and centre, and setting foot long essays for homework for any student, mainly Gryffindors, whom he thought were not participating in his lesson properly.

"I have to say, you have all been even more abysmal than normal today," Snape sneered from the front of the class as the students packed up their books to leave. Seen as they refused to work as a team, Fred and Ella were the last pair to clean up their bench.

"I trust I will see the two of you here at 8 o'clock," He smirked as both of their faces sunk.

"Bollocks," They said in unison, both having forgotten about their looming detention. Just then there was a knock on the door and the silver blonde haired Slytherin from the lake side sauntered in.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy," Snape said to his favourite student, "The books you requested are on my desk. I'm just going to see Professor Dumbledore, make sure that _they _are gone before you leave. Couldn't risk anything going missing now could we," He chortled smugly before exiting the room.

"Potter. Weasley," Malfoy sneered at them as he passed. The pair exchanged looks with each other, which portrayed their irritation of him.

"Fuck off, Malfoy," Fred spat angrily as he went to follow Ella in walking away.

"Ooo, someone's a bit grouchy. What's wrong Weasel? She not putting out," He indicated over to Ella, who had now stopped to glare at him, slyly smirking.

"Shut up you little git," Fred retorted, his voice oozing with anger. Malfoy just smirked even more and turned his attention to Ella.

"If you ever get bored of this blood traitor trash, you know where to find me,"

Ella shot a stinging hex straight at him, the jet of whit light hitting him square on the nose. He face instantly swelled painfully, making him look as though he'd walked straight into a bee hive.

"You're the last type of person I would to sleep with!" She hissed, "Ego maniac, pure bloods are the most repulsive type going and you seem to be their leader," She turned on her heel and stormed off to the common room, where she'd wait for dinner.

"So you finally gonna confront her tonight in detention?" George asked him twin quietly on the way down to the great hall.

"What?" Fred asked, feigning naivety.

"You know what. Confront your girlfriend, or whatever she is at the minute, as to why she's freezing you out." He replied, starting to lose his patience.

"I want to but I'm not sure, Georgie,"

"Why in Merlin's name not? Just tell her how you feel, Angelina said girls love that sort of thing,"

"Because the last time we really properly spoke, I told her I loved her and she never said a word back and started ignoring me. What if I scared her off by telling her how I felt?" He stopped walking, his face ridden with despair.

"Oh, mate your screwed," George laughed hoarsely in disbelief.

"Thanks for your wonderful advice. Made me feel loads better there, George," He said sarcastically, scowling.

"I mean you're in deep now aren't you?! You either have to tell her again and again until she says it back or just give up,"

"I can't give up," Fred said more to himself than his twin, "I'll just have to tell her over and over, starting tonight,"

"That's my lad,"

Dinner had passed quickly. Too quickly in Ella's opinion, knowing Fred would likely take opportunity of their privacy and confront her. She kept reminding herself that she couldn't crack and tell him. She couldn't. She had to make this decision on her own terms and she couldn't do that if he was influencing her with the promise of a happy ever after family, which she knew would never come true. She remembered back to when she over hear one of the boarding mistresses in Beauxbatons lecturing a knocked up 7th year, who was rattling on about how supportive and hands on her boyfriend was going to be. 'He can be as hands on as he wants' She said 'but for all those 2am feedings, unless he's got a pair of breasts, you're the only bar open in town'. The phrasing of it still made Ella chuckle, but she knew the boarding mistress had been right. There was no way that it could ever be possible for two sixteen year olds (one soon to be seventeen) to handle the responsibility of a child.

When the meal was over, Fred kicked Ella softly under the table.

"We better get going," He said calmly as she turned to glare at him.

"I suppose you're right," She huffed, standing defiantly up from the table, bidding farewell to her friends.

They met Snape in the potions class room, where he was waiting with a large bucket of hot, soapy water and two scrubbing brushes, smirking smugly.

"Wands," He held out his hand for the pair to hand over their wands. They obliged. "I'll be back at 11 o'clock sharp and these floors better be spotless," He lingered slightly before striding out of the room, cloak billowing behind him.

"The git!" Ella said exasperated. "What is it with Slytherins and those horrible smirks?" She questioned rhetorically, causing Fred to chuckle softly. "How the fuck is he expecting us to scrub the _whole_ floor the muggle way in three hours?!"

"Ah, that's where I come in," He offered, "Just hear me out," He added, seeing the look of apprehension on her face.

"You've got a minute, go." She said flatly. To Ella's amazement, Fred pulled out a second wand from his sock.

"It's a spare," He explained, "There's no way George and I could have got through all the detentions we've had completely manual. We're wizards for god sakes," He laughed.

"H…how…" She stuttered in amazement.

"I wrote to Mum in first year and told her I lost mine and she sent out Dad's old one and although it doesn't amazing, since I'm not its 'true' owner, it does the job," He finished proudly.

"Go on then," Ella said, recomposing herself, reminding herself to not let him worm his way into influencing her to keep the baby. _It's your decision, no one else. _She told herself over and over.

"I'll do all our work," Fred started, watching Ella's triumphant expression, "on one condition, that is,"

"Urghh, what?" Ella groaned.

"You have to tell me what I have done which is so terrible, to make you avoid me," He stepped closer to her, determined not to drop eye contact.

"Who said I was avoiding you," She challenged him.

"I don't know where I am with you!" He snapped, losing his temper at her arrogance, "One minute everything's going brilliant, we're having fun and there's no pressure, and the next you refuse to speak to me. Hell! You wouldn't even make eye contact with me, and if you do converse with me, you're snapping snide remarks, which isn't like you!"

"That's just thing Fred, it was just a bit of fun wasn't it!" She spat, trembling with anger.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He demanded, as Ella suddenly stopped herself from speaking and turned around to avoid her face giving anything away. "HEY!" He grabbed her arm, spinning her back around. "Don't you dare turn this round on me just being in this for fun! How can you even?" He pulled at his hair whilst pacing, exasperated. "I told you I loved you for fuck sake," He said a bit calmer.

"I'm sorry," Ella shook her head, refusing to look up from her shoes.

"Look at me," Fred said, taken aback by her submissiveness, which was incredibly out of character, "Ella, look at me," He said more sternly. She looked up gingerly, unshed tears swimming in her eyes. It was then, for the first time, Fred realised how her eyes were no longer glinting in the light. That they'd lost that spark of fun and youth. "What is it?" He asked quietly, as though she was an injured wild animal that could get scared and run off at any time, causing itself further injury.

"I can't," She shook her head, a single tear escaping down her cheek. He stepped forward towards her, taking her small hands in his.

"Yes, you can. I will always be here for you, no matter what. I love you, remember?" He moved on of his hands to wipe the tear off of her face.

"I'm so sorry," Was all she managed to reply.

"You're worrying me, what is it?"

"I've already told you I can't tell you! Now please leave it!" She pulled away from him harshly, shouting once again. The battle inside her was becoming too much for her to bare. She kept telling herself to ignore it, she couldn't tell him as it had to be her decision. But then he was there, and was being so sweet and kind, as he always was.

"No, tell me," He said, remaining calm for the first time in his life.

"Don't you see I can't?!" She close to screamed before collapsing onto the floor, sobbing harder than she ever had before. She felt so stupid. It was moments like these that reminded her why she liked to be on her own for so long; if you loved no one, no one could ever hurt or leave you.

Fred dropped down beside her, rubbing her back soothingly, in an attempted to calm her down.

"Please, Ella, let me in and whatever it is, we'll sort it out and get through,"

"There _is _no 'getting through'! I'm pregnant Fred!" She sobbed even hard, curling up into his lap.

"W…what?" He stammered, refusing to believe his ears. "You're pregnant?" He asked, stunned.

Ella's crying began to subside. She sat up, still leaning against him, to see his expression. She nodded in reply to his question.

"Is it mine?" He asked timidly. She nodded again. "But how? We've only slept together once, you and Igor must've done it loads more," He said, still in a slight daze.

"Are you saying you wish it wasn't yours?" Ella asked, scared for the answer.

"Of course not," He pulled her close to him, leaning against the bench behind them. "I just think we've been unlucky with the odds. Or lucky, however you want to look on it," He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"How could it be lucky? We're kids ourselves, how in Merlin's name could we raise one of our own? It'll be two years old by the time I leave school!" She said frantically.

"What do you mean? You don't want to keep it?" He asked, the smile abruptly leaving his face.

"I don't know. I don't see any way how it would work and everything in my mind is telling me not too but…" She paused.

"But what?" Fred prompted.

"But…but my heart is already attached to it. It's telling me that this baby could bring me the family I've never really had and I just know I will grow up wishing I had met my child," She began to cry again, this time so silently, Fred wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the wetness soaking through his robes.

"Whatever you chose to do, I'll be there all the way," He kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I should've known you would've been supportive either way," She admitted ashamed. She pushed herself up off him and took his face in her hands, looking him directly in the eye. "I love you Fred Weasley and the fact that you'd still be here, with me, whatever I did, has made my mind up for me," She kissed him lightly before moving back to look him in the eye again. "I want to keep it, give it our best shot,"

"What?" Fred's jaw dropped before a huge, contagious, smile of sheer elation spread across his face. Ella couldn't help but grin as well. "You mean it? We're going to have a baby?"

"We're going to have a baby," Ella laughed out of a mixture of relief and joy. "We're having a baby," She repeated, to try and let it sink in herself. Fred swept her lips up in a deep passionate kiss.

"We're going to be a proper little family," He said, still holding her close, "Let's finish up here and head back. We need to celebrate," He grinned wickedly.


	25. To fall or not to fall

Chapter 31

The next couple of weeks raced by and it was now early April and spring was beginning to set in. Ella and Fred had decided to wait until the whole family was gathered until they broke their big news. Ella worked herself up with how angry Mrs Weasley might get. The worry of how everyone would react had begun to take its toll on her, as she lost her appetite.

It was a warm, spring Saturday afternoon and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Lee Jordan, Fred, George, Alicia, Angelina, Neville, Katie and Ella were all eating lunch together in the Great Hall before their planned afternoon lounging around by the black lake. Fred, who had been caught up in a conversation with his two roommates, about the latest prank they were planning, when he looked over to his girlfriend, sat next to him, who was staring at her plate absent-mindedly pushing her food around it with her fork.

"You're like a tiger, sat playing with your food before you eat it," He whispered, teasingly, leaning in close to her ear so as no one else could hear him.

"I'm just not hungry," She sighed, setting down her fork.

"Eat. Please just do it for me," He whispered, still leaning in close to her, "Do it for the little one," He rested a discreet hand on her stomach, which was now beginning to bulge a fair amount. She had only been managing to conceal it by wearing one of Fred's baggy hoodies or by pulling her robes around her so as no one could see it protruding through her shirt.

"Okay," Ella nodded with a soft smile, before turning her head so it was centimetres away from his own. She leant forward, grazing her lips on his own. Fred raised a hand and ran it through her hair, using it to hold her lips to his own, in a sweet kiss.

"Bloody hell, a few weeks ago you two were close to blows and now you're snogging over the lunch table," George threw a piece of plain bred at his twin, barking out with laughter as Fred threw it back with twice the force.

"So are you two together officially again, then?" Alicia asked, giggling. It was a question that had been playing on everyone's mind. Despite the fact they had sorted things out between them, a few weeks previously, they weren't the type to show too much affection in public so the others couldn't really tell whether they were just good friends again or a couple.

"I guess we are," Fred grinned ear to ear, lacing Ella's fingers through his own.

"It's about time," Harry laughed from across the table, causing the others to also break into loud, jubilant laughter.

Fred and Ella lay side by side, dipping their feet in the cool, refreshing water of the black lake, whilst the others chatted, danced around and laughed, around them. Fred propped himself up on one of his elbows, so he was facing his girlfriend, who looked as though she was glowing in his opinion, as she lay in the sun in one of Fred's green t-shirts and a pair of stretchy leggings. The new sun had begun to give her messy hair their natural golden, honey highlights back.

"What?" She asked, laughing lightly as he just looked at her smiling.

"Pregnancy suits you," He said quieting so as the others wouldn't hear, leaning over her to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "As do my clothes," He laughed softly, "Better than they do me, annoyingly,"

"You're an idiot," She smiled into his lips before pushing her lips against his again.

"It's a good job I know that's your way of saying that you love me," He teased, kissing the tip of her nose, causing her to scrunch it up. "I love you too," He laughed before moving to her lips once again. He ran a hand down her side and let in linger over her hip, pulling her closer to him.

They were pulled out of the moment by a clearing of someone's throat nearby.

"Brother present," Harry mocked, sitting down beside the lake. They both gave their apologies as they sat up. Just as the three began to talk, George called over to his twin.

"Fred! Come see this," He shouted excitedly from a few yards away.

"Do I really want to see," Fred said to Ella and Harry before standing up and sprinting over to his twin.

"How have you been?" Harry asked his sister as they moved closer together.

"Ermm, good, you?" Ella replied, smiling at her brother.

"Fine, is there any reason you constantly seem to be in Fred's clothes at the minute?" He asked sincerely, despite his light tone. Ella rubbed the back of her neck and laughed sheepishly as she looked away. "Why do you?" He asked, seriously confused.

"We decided not tell anyone until we had everyone in one place but seen as you're my only family I should probably just tell you," She babbled, as she always did when she was nervous.

"Ella, what is it?" He asked, starting to guess.

"You're going to be an uncle," She couldn't meet his eyes but instead ran her hand over the bump the oversized t-shirt was hiding.

"You're pregnant?" Harry asked in disbelief. Ella nodded, looking up at her brother sheepishly.

"Well, congratulations, I guess," Harry beamed, pulling her into a bone crushing hug as the pair laughed.

"What about the trial? Surely you can't do the last task heavily pregnant,"  
"I've spoken to McGonagall and whilst she agrees, it's ultimately up to the headmaster of the school which I'm entered for and it doesn't take a genius to Igor…sorry Karkaroff," She corrected herself at the look of disgust on her brother's face, "won't really give a toss whether I'm pregnant or not, as long as I'm in the tournament, Durmstrang's got a better chance of winning." She finished.

"Well, we'll have to work together a lot more in this one if we can. If we get the chance, you aren't to leave my side and I'll keep the both of you safe," He said determinedly.

"Oh, Harry," Ella pulled him into another smothering hug, her eyes beginning to tear up. It was hard to imagine that mere months ago she didn't even know this boy who meant everything to her. He was her family and she was his and no one could change that.

Later that evening, Ella was getting out of the shower and rubbing herself down with a towel, when she felt a sharp pain her lower side once again. Much like the one she had on the way to the shack.

"Ella, you alright?" Katie called in as she heard her friend gasp in pain.

"Yeah," Ella replied weakly as she leant against the wall to recover herself. The pain passed although her abdomen still throbbed slightly. She quickly dressed into a loose, old pair of grey tracksuit bottoms and one of Fred's old quidditch hoodies to hide her ever growing bump now. As she looked down, it amazed her how unobservant people were not to have noticed it yet, after all was 4 months pregnant now. Maybe they just thought she was gaining weight but didn't want to be rude and say anything. She quickly pilled all her wet hair onto the top of head into a messy bun, before slipping on a pair of fluffy socks and heading off to the common room to meet her friends.

Most of the Gryffindors had gone to dinner, but Ella, Fred, George and Lee Jordan had snuck out of the castle, through one of the secret passage ways, to have a meal out at the three broomsticks in Hogsmead, justifying to the others that they had to do so because it must be the school's food which was putting Ella off of her food. Everyone involved knew this was a load of bullshit but no one cared too much, it just meant the rest of the school had a few hours respite from the fear of being pranked.

When Ella entered the common room, Fred was sat on one side of the couch in front of the cosy fire, and George and Lee were sat in the neighbouring arm chairs. They were animatedly discussing and planning their next prank, and from the sounds of it, it was going to be a good one.

"Ella!" George greeted her enthusiastically as he spotted her descending the girl's dormitory stairs. "Come join us!" He indicated to the sofa on which Fred was also sat. She smiled and sat at the opposite end as Fred, and brought up her feet and rested them in his lap. As her feet had begun to swell rapidly, Ella had been finding increasing comfort in foot massages off of her boyfriend. Naturally, Fred set away rubbing her tender feet caringly, causing the other boys to laugh and mock him.

"She's got you whipped," Lee boomed through his laughter.

"Who says it isn't a favour for a favour?" Ella hinted, teasing the boys whilst raising a single eyebrow.

"Too much information," Lee groaned.

"You brought it up," It was now Ella's and Fred's turn to laugh hysterically.

"I was thinking," George started, after they'd all calmed down again, "That's it time we strike out at the slytherins again. All this foreign school crap is distracting us, and they're definitely far too easy a time of it at the moment,"

"What were yous thinking?" Ella asked with a sly smile.

"Spiking their morning jugs of pumpkin juice with laxative potions?" Lee suggested, causing them all to laugh.

"Funny," George stared.

"But not quite big enough," Fred finished for his twin. The four of them wracked their brains for some inspiration.

"You two have been developing those sweet things that give you boils haven't you?" Ella asked.

"Well, yeah," George said.

"I think I see where you're going with this," Fred chuckled lowly.

"Well, as well as the laxative potion, how about we crush up and slip some of them into their morning pumpkin juice as well?" She raised.

"Ella, that's brilliant!" George announced.

"Come here," Fred growled playfully, pulling her close to him by her legs which had still been resting on him. He began to tickle her relentlessly, causing her to squirm, squeal and laugh.

"Fred!" She giggled. "Get off me you idiot," She squirmed on his lap. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain digging into her lower stomach once again, causing her to gasp sharply in pain. She held her side and Fred immediately stopped his attempts to wind her up.

"What's up? Do you need to go to the hospital wing?" He questioned fervently.

"No. No, it will pass," She pushed herself back to her original seat. All three boys stared at her as though she had nearly just dropped dead on them.

"I think you should maybe go to get checked out," George suggested, knowing she wouldn't take any advice off of his twin as she would just accuse him of fussing about her.

"No, it's already going," She said whilst wincing.

A few hours later, everyone had returned from dinner and now headed up to bed, leaving only Ella and Fred cuddled up on the sofa, warm and cosy in front of the welcoming fire, spitting rhythmically. They lay side by side, in the spooning position, Fred holding Ella tightly as though if he were to let her go, he might lose her for good.

"How are you," He whispered into her ear, kissing her hair lightly.

"I'm fine now," She squeezed his hand, which was wrapped around her waist, reassuringly.

"Now tell me how you really are," He said, unconvinced by her brave face. She sighed heavily and turned around, so their faces were almost touching.

"I'm scared, Fred." She admitted. "What if the pain's something to do with the baby? What if completing the tournament makes it worse?" She began to breathe heavily, commanding herself not to cry.

"Shhh," He whispered, placing a comforting hand on her cheek, "Once we've told everyone, I don't see how there's anyway you'll be allowed to do it, especially if Mum is involved," He chuckled gently.

"Dumbledore already knows and there's nothing he can do about it. The only one who can give me permission to pull out is Karkaroff," She nuzzled her head deep into his lean, toned chest.

"It's alright, El. We'll sort it, even if you are forced to start the task, no one's forcing you to complete it, are they? Didn't Bagman say you could sent red sparks from your wand to withdraw from any task at any time?" Ella nodded, relieved but also surprised she had never thought of something so simple before, herself.

"Thanks," She kissed him through his shirt, "I really do love you Fred Weasley,"

"And I love you too Elspeth Potter,"


	26. Birthdays past

**Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews recently! They really do make updating so much easier as it gives me the inspiration to keep on writing :) This isn't a particularly long chapter but I've tried to get it out quickly as a thank you and an incentive to keep you all reviewing :)  
xoxo -C**

Chapter 32

_Padfoot,_

_Hope you are well. I told Fred and we've decided that we're going to keep it and raise it. Harry already knows but we've decided to wait until everyone's together to tell the others so please can you keep it quiet, and that includes Remus because I would like to tell him myself. _

_Stay safe,_

_Ella_

Ella folded her letter and attached it to one of the school owl's legs. She sighed heavily and leant against the wall of the quiet owlery, the soft hum of the quiet hoots and the fluffing of feathers soothing her. She had written her letter to Sirius after dinner, and thought it would be best if she sent it before she had chance to forget. She knew she needed to tell everyone soon as she was constantly growing harder to hide by the day. Her bad morning sickness, which she'd had right the way through, and her ever changing mood was making her feel emotionally and physically drained. Not to mention her eternally, or so it seemed, growing stomach. One thing was for certain, the baby had inherited its father's height, Ella thought to herself. An unexpected voice from the entrance caused her to jump and spin round.

"You're not fooling anyone," Igor Karkaroff sneered from the entrance.

"What are you talking about you raving loon," She gave her best sneer back, turning away from him in a hope of trying to hide the weakness in her eyes. "And what are you even doing here?"

"And I have an urgent letter to send and my owls already in use. And you, my little slut," He walked over to her, so they were face to face, and placed a rough hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye, "are knocked up aren't you." Ella said nothing, but just shoved away his hand and went to leave. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," He said in an eery sweetness, causing Ella to stop in her tracks. "But don't think you're pulling out of the tournament, you're not embarrassing my school any more than you already have." He walked up behind, so close that she could feel his hot, harsh breath, stinging the back of her neck. She mustered all the courage she could, and turned to face him, with a defiant smirk.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of such a weak, pathetic little man," She said calmly, knowing her composure would be getting to him and she was right. He grabbed her upper arms and slammed her against the wall, just inside of the entrance.

"Weak, am I? I didn't feel that weak that night where I would have had you, despite your best protests, if your silly little friend weren't there. Or the day when I put you in the hospital wing. But now, here, neither Severus nor Krum are here to save you. No one's here to save you now, it's just you and me," He sniggered maliciously but Ella kept her composure, knowing the second she lost it, he would win.

"You are weak. So weak in fact, that you use your precious school to show who you are and it does just that. It's corrupt and nefarious, just like you. In fact, your school itself is so weak, that you had to find a way to enter a fifteen year old girl to give you a chance of winning," She spat.

"I never entered you, darling. Do you think I would have been as careless as to just put your last name in, giving Hogwarts another champion? I left that one to you." Ella started wriggling under his grip to try and get a hold of her wand, which was in the inner pocket of her robes. "We'll see how weak you still think I am, eh? There's nothing to stop me taking you…right here…right now…" He drawled, running a filthy hand over her collar bone and down her chest, "Not that you're as appealing as you used to be, before you got…_that_…but I'm sure you'll still feel as sweet as always," He bared his rancid teeth in a revolting, sadistic smile.

Finally, Ella managed to secure her grip on the handle of her wand and pulled it out swiftly, pointing it directly at his stomach as she said, "stupefy." Igor was blown backwards with the impact. Leaving nothing to chance, Ella dashed down the steps of the owlery at full speed, when she lost her footing. During her fall to the bottom of the slippery, stone staircase, she felt the pain in her lower side return, worse than ever. She landed in a heap at the bottom, a hot, sticky pool forming around her head.

"Oh shit! Harry, come quickly!" She heard the voice of a familiar, younger red headed boy before she blacked out.

* * *

She came around to find herself in the light, airy hospital wing. As she prized open her eyes, she saw her brother, his best friends, Ron and Hermione, and her boyfriend and his twin, crowded around her anxiously. Their faces all lightened with relief as she came round.

"How you feeling?" Harry asked, squeezing the hand of hers which she just realised he was holding.

"Like I need a season ticket for this place," She grunted, causing the group to lose any remaining anxiety as they saw she was still her same sarcastic, joking self. Ella, too, laughed lightly, wincing at the pain in her side as she did so. "How long have I been unconscious for?" She asked.

"Only about half an hour," Ron answered, "You had us all scared sick though! When I saw you at the bottom of the stairs, in all that blood, I thought you were a gonner,"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ella teased the younger boy before turning to him seriously, "But joking aside, thanks Ron," She offered him the best smile she could muster through her throbbing headache.

"What happened, Elly?" George stepped forward, he teased her but asked his question with a serious note in his voice.

"Don't call me Elly," She play smacked his leg, as it was the only part of him she could reach without sitting up properly, "And I just took the stairs too fast and fell."  
"What are we gonna do with you?" George teased her, causing Ella and the others to laugh. Ella looked over at his twin, to see he was the only one not laughing, but sat next to her wearing a grave expression. Her desire to laugh suddenly vanished and was instead replaced with angst.

"Hey guys," She addressed the group as a whole, "I'm shattered and should probably get some rest,"

"We get the hint, let's all buggar off then," George ushered the trio out, leaving his twin sat in the chair.

"Stay, we need to talk," Ella said quietly as Fred began to rise out of his chair to leave. He sat without saying another word until they heard to door of the hospital wing swing closed, signalling that they were alone.

"What was Igor doing in the owlery just after you fell?" Fred asked straight to the point.

"W…what?" Ella stuttered.

"Don't play dumb," He said shortly, "He was there when I ran up there to see if anyone could have pushed you, as Hermione and Ron went to get help,"

"I…errr…" She stuttered, unsure of whether to tell him the full story, knowing he would hit the roof.

"Did he or did he not push you?" He said in an alarming low voice.

"No," Ella shook her head.

"So you just happened to end up at the bottom of the stairs, lying in your own blood, whilst he was the only other person in the owlery?" His anger rising.

"Grow up, Fred!" She hissed. "As I said, I was rushing down the steps and missed my footing,"

"Why were you rushing?" He took her small hand in his, the anger drained from his voice.

"I called him weak, so he threatened to show me just how strong he was," She said in detest, "So I shot a stunning spell at him and ran, and that's when I fell," She explained.

"You could have died. Please, as much as I love the idea of him being wound up, stop it. He's too dangerous," Fred whispered.

"I could die walking across a street. I just can't let him win," She said pensively.

Just then Madame Pomfrey came bustling in.

"Ahh, you're awake!" She announced surprised. "Why did no one come and get me?"

"Sorry, we all got caught up in our questions," Fred admitted.

"Well, it's a good job she came around all right then isn't it," She huffed, before turning to her patient, "How are you feeling?"

"Severely hung-over after a night out that involved a fight," Ella joked to lighten the mood.

"And how's the pregnancy been going? I gather that you are planning to keep the child?"

"Yes, we are," Ella smiled at Fred, squeezing his hand, "and I've just still been feeling really sick constantly and incredibly moody,"

"Ah, pregnancy hormones for you. They're a right old nuisance," She bustled round Ella's bed, noting down various numbers from the different machines Ella was hooked up to, "Mr Weasley was telling me that you've been experiencing these pains in your lower abdomen, is that right?"

"Yes, they're getting worse," Ella admitted grimacing.

"Well, I can't tell you what they are for sure. It could be a possible ovarian cyst, which could always sort itself out but they are painful buggars when you've got them. It could also be appendicitis, which would cause a few more issues. For things like that, we are not significantly more advanced than muggles and operating on that area whilst in your condition should be avoided if not completely necessary. Finally, the more probable reason, is it could be the foetus is struggling slightly," She said as softly as possible, knowing it is the last thing a mother to be wants to here, especially such a young and emotionally immature one, "I don't mean to scare you," She reassured the young girl as her face paled dramatically, "it is obviously not too major an issue as the baby's heart beat is still nice and strong. I will have to request that you rest as much as possible, however. That way, you are making development as easy as possible for the child. I understand this is a lot to take in, therefore, Mr Weasley may stay tonight only." She finished off, before leaving the couple and heading back to her office.

"What are you thinking?" Fred asked Ella softly, tucking a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's my fault. I put our child's life at risk for my own satisfaction," A tear rolled down her face.

"Don't think like that. It's not your fault, it's no ones,"

"Hold me, please," She begged as another tear made its way down her cheek. Fred nodded and climbed into the bed next to his girlfriend, pulling her into the spooning position and stroked her hair soothingly.

The pair remained like that for a while in silence, as they watched the sky grow ever darker outside the window.

"We need to find an occasion to ask Mum to gather everyone for, so we can tell our news before too many people guess," Fred said in a hushed voice, kissing the top of her head.

"What though," Ella managed to reply, finding comfort in the warm, strong, safe embrace of her boyfriend.

"You never really said, when's your birthday again?" Fred said, shocked in the realisation that it had never crossed his mind to ask.

"December 27th, meaning our child will be about 4 months old if we wait for that," She laughed at the thought of the pair of them attempting to hide a child from everyone for that long.

"You mean I missed it?!" Fred gasped in shock.

"It really doesn't matter. I've never celebrated it and we had just gotten together, literally that day if you remember. We were having so much fun that I barely remembered myself," She chuckled lightly.

"It does matter and I cannot believe you didn't tell any of us!" He pulled her closer to his body, rubbing her stomach loving with his free hand. "Mum definitely needs to through a big dinner to make up for it now. I'll write in the morning,"

"I wish you would find something else but seen as we really do need to tell everyone, I will let you," Ella joked, turning her head to kiss Fred. The kiss started of gentle and sweet but grew into one of hungry passion. Fred ran his tongue over her bottom lip, asking for entry which she granted. Ella ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer to her. She moved one of her hands and ran it down over his chest and then his abdomen before grazing her nails along his bare skin just above the waistband of his trousers, tantalisingly.

"Ella," He gasped, "We can't," He pulled out of the kiss and turned her around so she was back resting in his embrace.

"I am really that fat now?" Ella teased as Fred traced patterns on her stomach protectively.

"You're still gorgeous. In fact even more so. What could be more beautiful than a part of my growing inside of you?" He kissed her hair.

"But…" She prompted.

"But the school nurse is sleeping in the next room and we all know you can't be quiet to save your life," He teased, placing chaste kissed up her exposed neck.

"Oh shit, I forgot about her," She chuckled, leaning into the kisses.

"You're so beautiful," Fred said between kisses as he made his was up to her ear.

"And you're so soppy," She teased turning to meet his lips with hers, "Now go to sleep, you've got a letter to right to your mum first thing,"

"Fine…." He jokingly moaned in her ear, causing her to giggle.

That night, both Ella and Fred asleep with genuine smiles printed across their faces. Despite the trauma of earlier and the bad news they had received mere hours previously, they were both the happiest and most content they had ever been in their lives up to that point. As they lay together, they were their own little family. All three of them.


	27. Telling the family

Chapter 33

Ella had been out of the hospital for two days- after being contained for a week and released only on the conditions that she had to rest whenever she wasn't in lessons or at meals- when Mrs Weasley wrote back to Fred.

_Fred,_

_I can't believe you let us all forget the poor girl's birthday! I am ashamed of you. I will write to Professor Dumbledore to get permission for you all to come home for the weekend next week as we never celebrated yours and George's birthdays in person either. Most importantly, I hope Ella has fully recovered from her fall and pass mine and your father's best wishes onto her._

_Lots of Love,_

_Mum_

That week raced by and all the Weasleys, Harry, Ella and Hermione were excited to leave school for the weekend. None of them even minded that it was a Hogsmead weekend as they got a lot less chances to go home in the middle of term time. The lessons had been dragging by exceptionally slow on the Friday and the teachers seemed to be getting increasingly irritable, most of all Professor Snape.

Ella, George and Fred's potions lesson, which was last period on the Friday, was even worse than normal. Snape was in an even grouchier mood than normal and their potions just weren't doing what they were supposed to. By the end of the period, the class grumbled and chuntered as they packed away their belongings and received a usual mocking of their abysmal attempts from their potions professor.

"Contrary to what I thought possible, you've all managed to outdo yourselves in just how diabolical your potions skills are. I want a 2 foot long essay on the history of the misuse of the polyjuice potion on my desk first thing Monday." Snape demanded from the front of the class.

"But Sir," Ella walked up to him as he look down his long greasy nose at her, "Fred, George and I are away all weekend with Professor Dumbledore's permission. We won't have a chance to get it done," She begged, "Is there any way we could get in for Tuesday morning instead?" She asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not," He sneered, over pronouncing every syllable.

"Oh but sir," She pleaded.

"Stay behind, Miss Potter. I need a word with you anyway," He said quietly, waiting for the rest of the class to file out before he continued. Fred and George nodded over to Ella to let her know they'd be waiting outside for her. "How's the head?" He asked, disinterred. His question, which was one of an almost caring nature, even if his tone did not reflect it, took Ella by surprise.

"Erm…better thanks," She subconsciously ran her hand over the heeling cut and the still slightly swollen bruising around her left temple, where she'd hit her head in her fall.

"Did or did not Igor Karkaroff push you?" He asked bluntly.

"No, he did not," She replied shortly, offended by his nosiness.

"I told you not to turn him in, but you did. I then told you to stay away from him once you had, but once again, you didn't and look what happened," He sneered as he turned to busy himself, sorting out various viles and flasks behind his desk.

"I didn't go looking for him. I was sending a letter and he appeared in the owlery. It was hardly my fault,"

"It never is, is it? I want that essay in for Monday, no excuses. You're dismissed." He shooed her away with his hand. Ella turned to go but just before she opened the door he spoke again. "And Miss Potter, please listen this time when I tell you to stay with someone else at all times whilst that man is still in the castle," He sounded defeated and exhausted, which was completely out of character for Snape. He didn't even sneer, smirk and use sarcasm.

"I will, Professor," She answered before leaving.

* * *

That evening, after the group had changed out of their school robes after lessons, they gathered in Dumbledore's office once again to floo to the Burrow. One by one they disappeared into the emerald green flames. Ella and Fred were the last two left in the office.

"It's going to be okay," Fred wrapped a protective arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, pulling her into a comforting hug, as her face now resembled to colour of Nearly Headless Nick.

"What if she's really angry?" She asked shakily, "Oh Merlin's beard, how am I going to tell Remus?" Her voice began to crack as her nerves started to take over.

"She might be at first but she'll come around and as for Remus, he'll be very understanding," He rubbed her back gently and kissed her hair. Ella shook herself, regaining her composure.

"You're right," She said determinedly, "Let's go," She straightened out the hoodie of Fred's which was only just about covering her now before grabbing a hand full of powder and sending herself spinning into the Weasley's home.

Fred arrived soon after his girlfriend, and the whole family and all their friends, it seemed, were gathered out in the garden around a large, simple table, enjoying the light, warm spring evening. The table was decorated none fussily, with a simple long piece of sky blue cloth running down the middle with various assortments of snacks spread along the length of the table.

Looking around, Ella began to take in exactly who was there. At the top end of the table, working down, sat Mr and Mrs Weasley, Tonks and Remus. In the middle, places were set for Ella at the very centre, with a twin either side, seen as it was a collective celebration of the three of their birthdays. Harry was to sit opposite Ella with Sirius on one side, meaning he was also next to his best friend Remus, and Ron and Hermione to his other side. At the lower end sat the oldest of the Weasley sons; Bill, Charlie and Percy (whom Ella had not spoken to since the night of the Yule Ball).

Fred ran forward from behind Ella to greet his two brothers that he had not seen in what felt like forever to him, before being engulfed in one of Mrs Weasley's bone crushing hugs, despite him being much taller and stronger than her now. She let go of him, making a remark about how quickly he'd grown up before spotting Ella stood in the doorway, smiling at the scene before her.

"Oh, Ella dear!" Mrs Weasley rushed over to her, also pulling her into a signature hug. "How are you feeling?" She said as she released the girl, briefly looking her up and down.

"I'm good thank you, Mrs Weasley. And thanks for having me over, it's nice to get away from school every once in a while," She said politefully.

"Don't mention it my dear! It's lovely to have everyone together. You look exhausted, you must take care of yourself," She lectured, obviously observing the bruising and swelling on Ella's temple. There was a loud crashing noise near the table, followed by a shout, as George _accidently _slipped whilst walking past Percy, carrying a large metal tray that his mother had ordered him to retrieve from the table, causing it to hit Percy square in the nose. "Boys!" Mrs Weasley yelled exasperated, running over to the chaos.

The meal was soon ready and the large group were summoned to the table. Mrs Weasley had out done herself with several large roast joints of ham and beef; copious amounts of golden, perfectly crispy roast potatoes; various delicious looking quiches and bowls containing copious amounts of various roasted nuts.

"This looks delicious, Mrs Weasley," Ella grinned at the marvellous sight before her, making her mouth water.

"Aww thank you, dear," Mrs Weasley beamed at the compliment before turning to Fred, "I really hope some of Ella's manners are rubbing off on you," She said teasingly.

"She's only like this to you lot," He laughed in reply, indicating to the adults, "She bullies all of us," He ruffled Ella's hair, causing her to scowl and smack his arm playfully. "See!" Fred declared, causing the whole table to erupt in joyous laughter.

The meal was full of jubilant, merry chatter and laughter as everyone tucked into the heavenly meal Mrs Weasley had slaved over all week, by the looks of it. The food was quickly eaten, with barely a scrap left uneaten, and everyone full to bursting.

"I see someone's got their appetite back," Fred whispered into Ella's ear leaning over.

"If your mum's cooking didn't bring it back, nothing would," She giggled softly, enjoying the feel of his hot breath on her neck.

"Get a room," Harry joked, chucking a small piece of bread at the couple, who were still leaning in closely to each other, discreetly so as Mrs Weasley didn't see. "Ow!" He yelped after receiving a sufficient boot under the table from his older sister, who smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. This caused an on looking Sirius and Remus to bark out laughing.

Just as everyone was finishing, Fred cleared his throat loudly and asked for everyone's attention, capturing it immediately as it caught everyone completely off guard.

"I would just like to thank my mum," He winked over at her, "for the _lovely _meal." He half teased before continuing, "However, I do have to admit I, well we," He glanced over to Ella, "had a bit of an ulterior motive as to why we wanted to gather everyone." The whole table exchanged curious glances, apart from Sirius and Harry who looked at each other knowingly. "Ella and I, have a sought of announcement," Fred fumbled with his words, unsure of how to announce it to everyone as delicately as possible. "ermm….welll…" He stammered.

"What he's trying to say," Ella placed a hand on Fred's thigh, "is that we're actually expecting," She looked down, now as red as her boyfriend.

"WHAT?!" Ron spat out his mouthful of pumpkin juice.

"I'm pregnant," Ella said calmly, the pair anxiously waiting for everyone's reactions.

"Congratulations!" Bill stood up first from his seat and moved over to his brother and his girlfriend, hugging them both separately. Ron, Hermione, Tonks and Ginny followed Bill's lead and hugged and congratulated the pair.

"Congratulations little brother," Charlie hugged his brother merrily, "The two of you are going to be great parents." He smiled, moving to hug Ella.

"Great parents?!" Mrs Weasley scoffed in a shrill voice, from her seat at the head of the table, which she hadn't moved a muscle from since the revelations. That was until now. "They're only kids themselves!"

"Molly," Mr Weasley tried to calm his wife but he was unsuccessful.

"Arthur, Ella, Fred sitting room. Now." She ordered. The three of them followed obediently in silence.

"What on earth are you two thinking?!" She yelled. "Please don't tell me you're _actually_ going to raise it yourselves," She scoffed.

"Absolutely we are." Fred said shortly, "I'm not having some stranger bring up my child, calling him Dad instead of me,"

"You_ are _a child! You both are!" Mrs Weasley shrieked.

"I'm 17, Mum! I'm legally of age and it's _Ella's_ body and _her_ baby so it's _her _choice,"

"I don't care if you're legally of age, you are still a child and you are still under my roof,"

"Molly, just calm down for a minute," Arthur spoke softly to his wife, whose nostrils were flaring and her eyes looked slightly wild.

"He's _my_ son and I'm telling you he's not ready." She declared. "He's still running round playing pranks and making jokes and sweets. What part of that tells you he is mature enough to raise a child?" Mrs Weasley ranted, furiously. Ella gripped onto Fred's hand tightly, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to disappear from the face of the earth. He squeezed it reassuringly in response.

"Mum, please," Fred urged calmly.

"Don't talk to me like that. I know my own son and I know you're not ready," She repeated. Ella felt the sharp pain in her lower right hand-side of her stomach again. She tried to ignore it but the pain pulsed through her again, more sharply, causing her to gasp in the pain.

"Ella?" Fred turned sharply to face her, holding her by her shoulders. "Look at me, what is it?" He questioned as her legs nearly gave way with the pain. Her face had drained of its colour. She let out another cry of pain and fell into Fred for support, clutching her side. "Come on, let's sit you down," He helped to the couch just behind them, making her lie down, before glaring back at his mum. "Is it the same pain?" Fred asked. She nodded, unable to speak. "Shhhh," he comforted her, stroking her hair and she rocked in pain, clutching her side.

"Fred," Mrs Weasley spoke from behind.

"We're keeping our baby, end of. We'll speak later," He said shortly, shocking himself at how blunt he had just spoken to his mother but he didn't care, he just needed to make sure Ella was ok. Mrs Weasley took her cue and left to re-join the party.

"She'll come round," Mr Weasley now spoke for the first time, "Do you need anything?" He asked his son.

"We'll be fine, just let the others know where we are to give us some peace as Ella needs to rest," He instructed, rubbing his girlfriend's back as she cradled her knees in her arms, as best she could around her baby bump, burying her head into a cushion.

After an hour or so, Ella was still curled up on the Weasley's sitting room sofa, with a soft, white linen duvet draped over her. Her boyfriend was still sat on the floor next to her, resting his head near hers, holding both of her hands in his.

"How you feeling?" He asked, kissing her forehead.

"Better, thanks. I'm just tired," She smiled weakly in response. "You go and re-join everyone. Have some fun,"

"I can't leave you on your own," He insisted.

"I just need to sleep, go now before I have to get up and drag you myself," She laughed in jest.

"Ok ok, I'll go as long as you stay put," He teased, ruffling her long auburn, brown hair.

As he left, Ella drifted off into a light sleep, relieving some of her exhaustion. Mrs Weasley's words replayed over and over in her mind. _What if she's right? What if we just aren't ready to raise a child? _Ella thought to herself. The sound of the sitting room door creaking open, pulled her from her thoughts.

"How are you?" Remus entered shyly.

"Better thanks," She smiled kindly at him, "sit," She nodded to the space at the end of the sofa as she sat up. He obeyed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Ella admitted, desperate to get it off of her chest, mumbling into her duvet.

"I already knew," He smiled at her knowingly.

"H…how?" She asked bewildered. She knew it couldn't have been Harry or Sirius as they'd both sworn to her they wouldn't tell a soul, specifically Remus, after all he was prepared to do for her, taking her on as his legal responsibility in the eyes of both the muggle and the wizarding governments.

"I had my suspicions when I met you in the shrieking shack. You kept running a hand over your stomach, you looked drained and tired, Sirius asked how you were feeling as you'd wrote saying how sick you'd been feeling sick and then you said about how much you needed the support at the minute. That was when it all started coming together, so I owled a healer friend of mine, described your symptoms, and she suggested you tried a pregnancy test, just to see. So then I decided to ask Padfoot over the breakfast table one morning and he just denied it as much as he could, and couldn't look me in the eyes," Remus explained.

"You really are observant aren't you," Ella joked lightly. Remus just smiled back and they sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Ella?" He interrupted the silence.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"I genuinely do think you and Fred have made a good decision, as long as you're happy with it, I am. And if you ever need any help with it when it's not leading up to a full moon, I'll always be here" He smiled.

"Thank you ever so much Remus," She leant forward and pulled him into a tight hug, which he hugged back with the same enthusiasm.

"Molly will come round," He spoke, separating from the young girl.

"I really hope so. The last think I wanted was to come between Fred and his family,"

"Molly's just shocked that's all," He reassured her, before sitting in another comfortable silence for several minutes.

"How do think my parent's would have reacted?" Ella asked, a question which had obviously been playing on her mind.

"I think they too would have been shocked at first. Your mother would probably have been the first to come round and would be making sure you make the right decision for you and then your father would come round and be supportive of whatever. I do believe that they'd be very proud of you right now," He spoke wistfully, thinking of his late best friends.

"I hope so," Ella smiled, before they returned to their silence. The pair both fell asleep, much to the rest of the group's amusement when they came to check up on them, with Ella still curled up at one end of the sofa and Remus sat, leaning on the large arm, at the other end.


	28. Harmless horseplay

**Warning! There is some smut in this chapter as I felt like Ella and Fred's relationship was starting to feel almost distant, or certainly to write, which is the last I wanted so if you don't like it, skip it further down. Thank you for all the quick reviews for the last chapter, it really does make updating so much easier :) Please read and review, tell me your thoughts. **

**xoxo -C**

Chapter 34

Supper that evening was an awkward affair. No one dared speak in the presence of Mrs Weasley for fear of reigniting her fury. Ella and twins were absent from the table. After waking up from her afternoon nap, Ella went upstairs the twin's room to join them. The three of them were thinking desperately of ways to bring their mother around to the idea of her son being a father.

"We could just drug her," George gave up, flopping onto his bed, "I think it's our only option,"

"What are we going to do?!" Ella stood from Fred's bed and began pacing anxiously, twisting her hands through her hair. "This is a nightmare,"

"It's going to be fine," Fred tried to reassure her only to receive a raised eyebrow in response. "Well she'll probably come round soon enough, and even if she doesn't she can't undo what we've done and she certainly can't make us not raise our own baby. Even if it means she never speaks to me again, I'm helping all the way when it comes to raising this child," He stood up and pulled her in a comforting embrace.

"I don't want you to fall out with your family," Ella said quietly, "She's your mum, talk to her, please for me,"

"I will," He kissed the top of her head, "She's had seven kids for the love of Merlin! She's too maternal to not support us the minute it sinks in,"

The three teenagers sat on the bedroom floor and talked about quidditch and gossiped about other students for over an hour, purposely using absent-minded chatter to distract them from all their worries.

"I can't believe you two never told me before anyone else!" George exclaimed, changing the subject as he suddenly made a realisation.

"You've got too much of a gob on you to keep it quiet mate," Fred barked in laughter. George threw a pillow at his twin in retaliation, which soon escalated into a full blown pillow fight between the three of them after a misaimed missile clocked Ella over the head. Ella grabbed two pillows which laid strewn beside her and ran at George, who was now backed into the corner of the room. Fred had ran into the room across the hall, into Bill's room (the one Ella had stayed in, in her previous stay), in an attempt of hiding.

"You scared?" She chuckled evilly as she cornered the tall, defenceless redhead, raising an eyebrow at him tauntingly. He scanned around him before narrowing his eyes back at her.

"No, I've got a bigger aim to get my brother out of his hiding place and you're just part of my plan," He smirked, equally as evilly. Her evil grin dropped as George sprang forwards towards her, sweeping her up and flinging her over his shoulders, careful not to bash her around too much and hurt the baby. He ran a few steps with her squealing over his shoulder before throwing her down on his twin's bed. Ella lay there, paralysed with laughter.

"Fred," He called out in a sing song voice, "Come save your girlfriend from me," He chuckled mischievously before climbing onto Fred's bed, kneeling over Ella.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She said through her tears of laughter.

"I, my friend, am creating a scenario my dear brother will not be able to resist stopping," He chuckled lowly as he placed a hand either side of Ella's head. He pretended to start to kiss her, realising exactly how it would look to any newcomers into the room.

"FRED!" She yelled between her laughter to her boyfriend, for him to come and save her.

"You're mine now Potter," He teased with a wicked grin, tickling her as he pretended to try and kiss her again. "Just waiting for your little boyfriend to come and save you and he'll be mine and I'll win this pillow war," He chuckled, causing Ella to scream in laughter.

"FRED!" She cried out again, but with no luck.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING FRED WEASLEY?" A furious Mrs Weasley yelled from the doorway. "Get off of that girl now! You are in MY house!" Her face was bright red and her eyes shone dangerously.

"Wow, wow, Mum." George climbed off Ella quickly and bravely made his way over to his mother. "I'm George, we were having a pillow fight and I was pretending to be kissing Ella to get Fred out of his hiding place," He tried to explain, with very little success.

"Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?! You've already gotten the girl pregnant and now I find the two of you frolicking inappropriately under _my _roof!"

"Please, Mrs Weasley," Ella stepped forward, pleading reason, "This _is _George. I'm sorry we were so careless to get me pregnant but this really was just a bit of harmless horseplay."

"Dam right you two were careless!" Mrs Weasley snapped, very out of character for her to do to a guest.

"MUM!" Fred scolded her from the hallway, obviously hearing the whole commotion. "That really is George because _I'm _Fred and don't talk to my girlfriend like that!" He too looked furious, his normally soft, welcoming brown eyes, flashed warningly. Mrs Weasley was obviously taken aback at the way she'd snapped at Ella, her house guest, and shocked herself. Her cheeks turned bright red and she stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

Ella let out a loud yawn as the twins stood and stared at her, waiting to see if she'd been upset by their mother's outburst.

"I'm shattered, you don't know where your mum had planned for me to sleep do you?" Ella asked openly, not in the slightest effected by the older woman's outburst. With house so packed, she assumed that she would not have a room to herself again.

"She had planned for you to sleep on the couch in the lounge but I don't care what she says, you're staying in my bed with me," Fred spoke up calmly.

"That's fine by me as long as there's no funny business," George shot the couple a playful wink, causing them all to erupt in much needed laughter.

The three of them got changed for bed, Ella just in a clean pair of Fred's boxers and one of his shirts, not having gotten her own bag of clothes from downstairs. They sat and talked as they listened to the noise down stairs gradually dwindle as people went to bed. They had confirmed that Bill and Charlie were sharing Bill's room, leaving Charlie's for Remus and Sirius to share; Ron and Harry were in Ron's room as usual; as were Hermione and Ginny in Ginny's; Tonks was going home and Percy was being his usual self-absorbed self and was in his own room, on his own.

"I'm hungry," Ella complained rubbing her stomach and standing up, "most people are asleep. I'll just pop down and grab something quickly. Do you two want anything bringing up?" They shook their heads and she left the room and descended the stairs.

When she got there, the kitchen was empty. Ella could hear a couple of people still up in the sitting room so she moved quietly. She buttered a couple of pieces of toast and put them on a plate to take up and turned to leave the room. However, just before she left, she heard someone enter the kitchen from the lounge.

"Mrs Weasley," She gasped in a slight panic, not wanting to cause any more trouble for Fred, "I was just a bit hungry," She motioned to the food on her plate. Mrs Weasley stood still near the door way, silent. She was obviously still shocked at her own outburst, earlier.

"I…I…I'm sorry," Her voice broke as she began to cry, "I've been such a horrible witch to you dear," She spoke distantly although she was talking directly to Ella , who walked over to the short, plump woman, placing her plate on the table, and hugged her gently.

"Its fine, I know it's a lot to take it. I took me weeks to even admit to myself what was going on," Ella comforted the older woman, squeezing her tightly before moving away from the hug to see her expressions.

"That's it, you're young. I should be helping the pair of you come to terms with the whole thing, not just making it harder for the pair of you whilst I come to terms with it. I really am sorry." She sniffled, wiping up the tears from her cheeks. "I'm still not thrilled that you're having a child before you've even left school but whatever the pair of you decide, I'll do my best to be there for my grandchild,"

"Thanks," Ella said, hugging Mrs Weasley once again.

Ella became aware of another presence lurking in the door way leading to the sitting room. She looked up to see Sirius Black leaning against the door frame, smirking to himself.

"What?" Ella asked, her voice rising in a playful aggravation.

"Good night," Mrs Weasley bid to them, moving up the stairway towards her own bedroom.

"I'm just proud of you, that's all," Sirius grinned the minute the older woman was out of ear shot.

"For what? Don't give me a long spiel about how brave I was today, because I've had too much soppiness for one day for a girl to cope with," Ella sighed heavily, plonking herself down heavily into a chair around the kitchen table.

"Hahaha," Sirius chuckled, "You were very brave but no, I meant I was proud of how much chaos you seem to cause wherever you go," He teased as he eyes twinkled in the moon light pouring through the kitchen windows.

"Urghh, tell me about it," She groaned rolling her eyes, causing Sirius to laugh more.

"Morning, beautiful," Ella rolled over to face her boyfriend, who was smiling wickedly at her groggy, sleepy self. "How did you sleep?" He asked in a whisper, careful not to wake his sleeping twin, tucking a strand of Ella's hair behind her ear. It was very early, the Sunday morning of their weekend off of school. The rest of the house sounded as though they were still sound asleep. They were all due back at school that evening, much to their dismay. The whole group, adults and teenagers a like, had spent the Saturday taking a picnic to the far side of the lake outside of the burrow, under a large oak tree. The boys, Sirius and Ginny began a small game of Quidditch. Much to her annoyance, Ella was made to sit out of the game due to Madame Pomfrey's strict instructions to rest, which she was already breaking by just being there.

Ella sighed heavily in her sleepy state and begrudgingly opened her eyes.

"Brilliant but I still need more," She turned her back to Fred, leaning into his warm embrace trying to get back to sleep.

"Oh no you don't," He chuckled wickedly as he pulled his girlfriend round, so she was lying on her back, and climbed on top of her.

"Oh," Ella said, catching on, with a cheeky grin of her own.

"Now you wake up," Fred laughed quietly in her ear before placing chaste kisses down her neck before moving up to her lips. He met her lips with hunger and passions. She returned his enthusiasm in the kiss. Ella, getting lost in the moment, moved her hands from entwining in Fred's hair and turned the pair over so she was straddling her boyfriend under the covers. She pinned his arms to the bed with her own as she kissed, licked and nipped her way down his neck and then on to his bare chest.

"Ella…" He moaned quietly as his breath hitched at the wonderful stimulations her tongue was providing.

"Shhh…" She moved her lips back to his own, feeling his arousal digging in hard against her.

The pair were distracted from their kissing and teasing when they heard George begin to stir.

"Shit, forgot about that tosser," Fred laughed, realising how close they had been to having sex right next to his sleeping twin. He would kill them if he ever found out just how close they came. Ella rolled of Fred and laughed quietly as well.

"Join me in the bathroom to sort out your little situation?" Ella asked mischievously, her eyes glinting wickedly.

"Tease," He groaned as she stood up, wearing only his boxers and his shirt, and made her way to the door before turning back to him as he was still lying in bed gazing at her. He couldn't help but stare at her in arousal when she wore nothing but his shirt. Charlie, who had a similar reputation to the twins when it came to girls, always said 'a girl wearing a lad's shirt is like a flag flying in a conquered country'. Although it showed his book worm side, Fred loved the thought of Ella being his.

"Coming?" She winked at him, laughing as he jumped up and chased her into the bathroom, desperate to feel her touch. It felt like forever since they'd last been intimate.

In the bathroom, Ella ridded herself of the boxers and shirt the second the door closed and locked, leaving her stood naked. Fred couldn't help but smile as he scanned her hourglass body, running a hand gently over her bump.

"You're beautiful," He sighed, entwining his hands in her hair, pulling her close and kissing her with a wild passion.

Ella pulled away and climbed into the shower to turn it on. As she began to rinse her hair and body, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into a broad, toned bare chest.

"Oh Fred," She gasped as she felt his rock hard erection press into her back. "It's been too long," She sighed in realisation of just how little they were able to get together.

"So we better make the most of it," He grinned wickedly, spinning her round to face him and kissed her fiercely once again. His talented tongue set to work, making her weak at the knees. He soon backed up to the wall of the shower, pressing himself firmly against her, moaning at the feel of their naked bodies touching heatedly. He lifted on of her legs to rest it over his hip, granting him a whole new angle to her.

"Please," She gasped, as he cupped her breast tantalisingly. "Please," She repeated herself.

Fred, unable to resist himself any longer, gave up the tease and entered her. Her hips automatically moved towards his, encouraging him to move. He began to thrust into her enthusiastically, whilst sucking at her shoulder, then moving his way up her exposed neck, causing Ella to moan softly, biting her lip to stop herself, painfully aware of the fact they hadn't placed a silencing charm on the bathroom. He kissed down her neck again, and along each defined collar bone, desperately taking in her delicious taste. Ella's breath was hot and heavy in his ear as she pulled him into her even closer. She gripped at his hair tightly as she felt her climax consume her. She groaned loudly, unable to control herself any longer as pleasure and passion coursed through her body. The feel of her orgasm, triggered Fred's own, causing him to collapse onto her against the wall as the pair panted heavily in an attempt to regain their breath.

Later that morning, Ella and Fred joined the rest of house's occupants around the breakfast, sitting opposite to each other. Every time they caught each other's eyes Ella blushed and giggled as Fred winked jokingly. These looks didn't go unnoticed by the two grown men sat to the left of Ella.

"Oh young love," Sirius teased Ella, as he spoke to his best friend. "Ow!" He yelped after receiving a sharp elbow in his ribs from the young girl at his side, causing Remus to bark out in laughter and receive confused looks from the rest of the table.

Half way through the meal, Fred raised his head from his cereal bowl and looked at Ella shooting her a cheeky wink and a raised eyebrow, awaiting a reaction. Ella, however, just looked back, severely confused as to what he was so obviously expecting. All of a sudden Ron, who had been sat to Ella's right, stood up, abruptly excusing himself from the table, his face beetroot red. Fred looked between his girlfriend and where his brother had been sat before he and his twin erupted in hysterical laughter, George instantly knowing what had just happened, as was always the case when it came to his twin.

"Fred!" Mrs Weasley scolded him but it had no effect, Fred continued to laugh alone, the cause unknown to everyone else.

Mr Weasley and Percy stood to leave for work, Molly rushing around them, loading them up with lunches and goodbyes, before busying herself cleaning another part of the house. In the absence of his parents, the rest of the group turned to look at Fred expecting an explanation as he coughed down his remaining laughter.

"I…I…" Fred burst into another fit of laughter.

"He was playing footsie with our Ella over here," George took over from his creased twin, hushing a bemused Ella, "or what he thought was Ella. However, that was not the case. Freddie, here, just tried to grope little Ronniekins with his feet," George erupted into another bout of laughter, along with the rest of the table as the hilarity of the recent occurring began to dawn on them. At this point, Ron reappeared in the doorway, making his way to the fridge for more food.

"Sicko," He glared at his brother, still bright red with embarrassment, assuming it had been some creepy, distorted prank of his.

"I was aiming for my girlfriend you idiot," Fred threw a piece of toast at his sulky younger brother.

"Urghh, brother present," Harry groaned as he pretended to barf in jest.

"And godfather," Remus said, cringing an equal amount winding the pair up despite the comedy value of the situation.

"This will be my cue to go and pack my things," Ella laughed, standing from her seat.

She was half way up the second staircase when she heard her name being called behind her, with a low chuckle. She turned to see Sirius sauntering up the stairs to her side.

"I miss mornings like this when I'm alone in Grimmauld place," He sighed as the pair laughed thinking back to the scene that had just taken place in the kitchen. "Although, I don't miss the early morning disturbances," He grimaced as Ella turned a bright crimson.

"W…what do you mean?" She asked, trying to keep her cool and play dumb.

"You two really need to work on your silencing charms," He barked with laughter as she looked as though she just wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

"No one else heard did they? Remus? Oh Lord, please not Remus," She groaned. As awkward as it was having Sirius over hear her and Fred, it would doubly so if Remus had. She and Sirius had more of a brotherly best friend relationship as Remus was much more of a fatherly figure to her.

"No, I was the only one up and sadly my hearing is very acute," He faked another grimace to make the girl blush an even deeper red if that was even possible, "bathroom, very creative I must say," He teased before receiving a playful punch to the arm.

"Careful, Black. One more word and I'll hex you into next week," She threatened, leaving him to stare after her as she took the rest of the steps two at a time. How on earth had she managed to turn out so much like her father in one way but her mother in another? She had undeniably inherited her father's flirtatious, mischievous, witty traits, which just loved to cause trouble. But she also had a very caring and gentle side to her, which was most definitely a trait of her mother's, in addition to her natural beauty. He pitied Fred. He didn't stand a chance against a girl like that. Sirius laughed as that though crossed his mind. _Poor Fred._


	29. The Ginger Race

**Hello, sorry it took a while to update. For some reason this chapter was really hard to write! I'm actually going on holiday to Greece tomorrow, for two weeks, so I'll try and update but I can't ****guarantee an update whilst I'm away. This story had in no way been abandoned, so just make sure you keep reading and (most importantly :p) reviewing as it's reviews that give me the motivation to crack on and get an update out. Thank you all :)  
****xoxo- C **

Chapter 35

The group of friends had gotten back to school late on the Sunday evening, consequently not leaving them much time for homework, namely Ella, George and Fred's lengthy potions essay. The three grumbled and chuntered under their breath when the rest of Gryffindor had all gone up to bed and they were all only on their opening paragraphs.

"What' even the point, I'm shit at potions," George groaned as he threw down his quill, causing it to blot on his parchment. "This is a complete joke!" He growled. "I'm going to bed, night." He stormed off to bed. Ella stood up to follow and persuade it was for the best to do his essay.

"Leave him, there's no persuading him when he's like this," Fred chuckled, pulling his girlfriend over to him so she was sat on her knee.

"I suppose," She chuckled, leaning into her boyfriend's touch as he ran over her swollen stomach which she was no longer hiding under baggy hoodies. She had had to preform several expanding charms on her clothes, but it felt nice to not be hiding in fear of people finding out her secret. Her family knew and that was all that really mattered to her. "I'm glad we've finally told everyone," She sighed.

"Me too," Fred replied, kissing her hair lightly. He held her for a few more minutes before speaking once again, "you know, I think I agree with George, I'll do the detention over this essay," he crumpled up the piece of parchment which had about five words on it.

"Hmmm, well I may as well do the same seen as I'll at least have decent company," She teased, playing with his long shaggy ginger hair. "Do you reckon our child will be ginger too?" Ella asked amused by the unrelenting ginger gene which passed through each and every Weasley, without fail.

"Well your mum was a redhead, so you're already part ginger and then I'm like full ginger so my guess says they will be," Fred teased, still gently drawing patterns on Ella's stomach with the tips of his fingers.

"I'm not sure it works like that," Ella threw her head back, laughing rambunctiously, "Ginger is a race or a blood purity,"

"My family begs to differ," He also laughed joyously, "You have a bit of reddishness in your hair," Fred observed, moving his hand to twist through her long hair.

"Must get it from my mum," Ella smiled pensively at the thought of her beautiful mother, "Now I'm going to go to bed before we wake the whole tower up or you decide that there is a ginger land to go along with your ginger race," Ella teased, kissing his lips lightly. Fred pulled her closer to him, his hand still in her hair, deepening the kiss. "Night," She whispered, breaking off the kiss and moving off of his lap and towards the stairs.

"Night," He said quietly, causing her to turn and give him a seductive wink before darting up the stairs.

Ella reached her bedroom, expecting to find everyone asleep, but instead found a mixture of her friends from 3rd year (just Ginny) to 7th year. They all looked at her, eyes open wide, gleaming with excitement.

"What?" Ella asked nervously.

"Oh my god look how much you're showing!" Katie nearly squealed. "How did I not notice?"

"Oh, I guess Ginny and Hermione told you all," Ella laughed, walking over to join them on her bed.

"Yes!" Alicia Spinnet giggled. She couldn't describe what or why but there was something about Alicia that Ella just didn't trust her for. She shrugged it off deciding she must be being stupid, the girl was just a bit annoying.

"How did everyone take it?" Angelina asked quietly to Ella, whilst the others were all involved in an animated discussion about baby names.

"Really good actually. A lot better than I thought…well most people anyway," Ella twisted her hands in her lap as she sat on her bed next to her best friend.

"Molly?" Angelina asked sympathetically. Ella nodded. She pulled her pregnant friend into a warm hug. "It'll be fine," She reassured her.

"So…" Ginny turned to Ella, "what baby names have you thought of?"

"I don't know," Ella chuckled, amused by the girl's fascinations, "we haven't really talked about names at all but I would quite like my mother's name in there somewhere if it's a girl," Ella allowed herself also to get excited about her baby, probably for the first time. The girls all let out a loud 'awww' before Angelina sent them all back to their own dorms, seeing Ella's tiredness grow. They all bid each other a good night and went to their separate beds.

The weeks raced by, Ella growing ever bigger, and the final tournament fast approaching. The word had spread about the scandal of a student pregnancy as the girls had promised to keep it a secret, so naturally the whole school knew within a matter of hours.

It was a warm, sunny Sunday early afternoon in early June and Fred, George, Angelina, Katie and Ella were all on their way out to the black lake's banks, where they were planning to spend the afternoon sharing some butterbeers and just have a laugh. Whilst they were passing through the entrance hall, the malicious, rotten looking Durmstrang headmaster stopped them.

"Miss Potter, I require a word with you," He said coldly. Ella's blood instantly ran cold, remembering the events of their last one on one meeting.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Fred snarled, his temper flaring.

"Fred, it's fine," She rested a soothing hand on his tensed arm which was getting ready to swing at the older man, "if he has anything to say to me, he can say it in front of all of us,"

"The ministry has ruled, and despite Dumbledore's best efforts, it is up to me whether you compete in the last task so you're doing it," He spat condescendingly, obviously very proud at his way of continually find ways to make her feel inferior even though she was no longer under his care. He reminded Ella of a dog with a bone; a very dim witted, smelly one at that.

"She can't you idiot! She'll be six months pregnant by then and she's meant to be on bed rest!" Fred yelled, launching at the older man, pinning him against the wall. In situations like these, using magic was half as satisfying as fighting the old school, muggle way.

"Not my problem, she shouldn't have been so _easy_ then," He spat, sending Fred into an even larger rage. George jumped in just in the nick of time to prevent his twin from taking a hard swing at the Durmstrang headmaster. Igor quickly hurried off, like the coward he was.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as he left. However, Fred just turned his anger and directed it towards his twin.

"What the hell was that?!" He yelled. "He deserved everything I wanted to do to him and more!"

"I agree with you on that but the schools busy so you'd most definitely get caught and weaken our case against him in court," George tried to reason but Fred was too livid and was having none of it.

"He will get sent down whatever I do! He's a grotesque, evil, loathsome little git and one day I will get him!" He yelled again, causing even more students to stop and stare at the drama unfolding before them.

"Fred," Ella hissed warningly, "common room. Now,"

Fred knew his girlfriend too well to argue with her and immediately gave his twin a last glare before stalking off in the direction of Gryffindor tower, Ella hot on his trail. As he walked through the portrait whole and into the common room, he went to take a seat in one of the comfy chairs by the fire.

"Ah!" Ella snapped, pulling him back up, "we need to talk. Your dorm," She pointed towards the boy's dormitories' staircase, up which Fred then slumped up sulkily at being told what to do by his girlfriend, who was still close behind him.

Once they entered the room, Ella placed a locking and a silencing charm on the door.

"Please, find some excuse that might actually stop me from hating you for the scene you just made," Ella said in a dangerously quiet and calm voice.

"I…I…" Fred hesitated, unsure of how best to explain himself, "I just can't stand the way he treats you."

"Grow up!" She yelled chucking the closest pillow straight at his head. She knew she was over reacting slightly but her hormones were all over the place were stopping her from being empathetic and allowed her only to feel her embarrassment. "Half the school was watching while you stood their screaming and shouting! When are you going to grow up?!"

"El, I'm so sorry but he's knowingly putting you and our baby in danger! I'm only trying to protect my family!" He yelled back, his own temper flaring. Why did she always have to be so stubborn?

"Oh give up!" She laughed with anger, pacing around the room, refusing to look at her boyfriend. "If you actually thought about things before kicking off you would realise that you are only making things worse for me! And then turning on your brother like that! If it wasn't for him you would have gone and put yourself in a whole load of trouble!"

"Why don't you go run to George then if he's so bloody brilliant?!" Fred hissed. Ella's eyes flashed dangerously as she turned to face Fred again.

"You know what?" She hissed in a low voice. "Maybe your mother was right. Despite being the older one, you act like a complete child still. You need to wake up! We can't act like kids anymore!" She yelled, tears of anger forming in her eyes. She walked to the door opening it before turning back to him one last time. "I'm not sure whether we can actually do this. We're done." She shook her head as she left the room.

Ella stormed down the boys' dormitory stairs, into the empty common room, just as the rest of their previous group climbed through the portrait whole. Angelina rushed forward to her friend and engulfed her in her arms, seeing the pain in her face. The act of kindness was enough to break the remains of Ella's barriers and façade as she began to sob.

"Shh," Angelina stroked her best friend's hair soothingly. "What happened?" She asked as Ella's sobs began to subside. The rest of the group still stood watching, unsure of what to do with themselves.

"We broke up," Ella gulped down another sob as she felt a pang in her chest as she admitted it to the rest of the group and, ultimately, to herself.

"Oh, Ella," George stepped forward pulling her into another hug, desperate to make up for his twin's idiotic behaviour.

"It's fine. I should have known better than to believe in the fantasy of a happy ever after. Realistically, there was never any way we were going to raise this child while we were both at school," She sighed, forcing a weak smile, "I'm exhausted actually and should probably obey Madame Pomfrey for once and rest," She excused herself to her bedroom where she lay, unable to sleep, all afternoon. Thinking over how she was going to cope now. She knew there was no way she could attempt to raise a child on her own at her age.

"What have you done?" George asked his twin scornfully as he entered their room to find him moping on his bed, sulking like a child.

"Nothing, she broke up with me," Fred tried to defend himself.

"Do you realise how childish you're sounding right now?" George scolded him. "Your pregnant girlfriend, who is due to give birth to your child in three months, is in pieces in her room wondering what to do about the future of your child because she feels like she can't cope,"

"She's not my girlfriend anymore and thanks then. It's always nice to know your own twin isn't on your side," Fred spat, still in a foul temper.

"Don't you dare!" George snapped, despite his irritation, his voice managed to remain fairly mild and quiet. "You know I always have and always will be on your side but you need to face up to things now. You've got _child_ on the way that you might lose the rights to see or look after if you don't treat the mother with a bit more respect."

George's word finally broke Fred out of his foul, childish temper as he realised the gravity of what he had just done. He felt physically ill at the thought of losing both Ella and his baby; protecting them was the reason this whole argument started in the first place, before it all completely spiralled out of control.

"She's not going to speak to me, is she?" Fred grimaced, his head in his hands as he sat down on his bed in defeat. "Why was I so stupid?"

"I'm not going to lie to you mate, it's going to take some serious grovelling but it's you and Ella, you've got to make up. You've always manage to sort out any of your little arguments before,"

"But we've never had any like this before…" Fred sat staring at the floor, numb, "And that's just it though, Georgie. We've already had several arguments and fallings out before and we're off nearly as much as we're on. How are we meant to raise a child in that sort of relationship?"

"What happened to what you told me last time she didn't speak to you, eh? That you were so wrong for each other that you were right?"

"Last time we weren't about to bring a child into the mix," Fred sighed, lying back on his bed, his chest physically hurting from the loss of his girlfriend.

"Grovel, it's all you can do now," George sat next to his twin and the two shared a look. A look that showed a mutual understanding.

"Thanks, Georgie," Fred smiled weakly at his twin, "For everything,"

Three days had passed and Ella had only left her bed to go to the bathroom. Her friends were very worried about her, as she rarely even opened the hangings around her bed. She had completely shut herself off from the world and refused to come down to meals or lessons. The worry had quickly spread to the teachers when she still hadn't turned up to any lessons by the end of Tuesday. Angelina and Katie had been sneaking food out of the Great Hall to try and encourage Ella to eat but they often just found it discarded next to her bed.

Ella's lesson and meal boycott had left Fred with no opportunity to try and make it up to her, face to face. He had decided he needed to communicate his feelings of regret with her before she decided to do something radical or stupid in relation to his child. He saw Angelina, Katie and Alicia all entering the common room through the portrait hole just as he finished writing his letter to her.

"Ange," He called, stepping towards her before silencing at the presence of their head of house, who was climbing through the portrait hole, closely following the students.

"What?" Angelina asked impatiently. Despite her frustration at Fred for being a prick and her anger at him hurting her best friend whilst she was vulnerable, Angelina's long standing friendship with Fred meant she allowed him the chance to say what he wanted to say.

"How is she?" Fred asked, his voice thick with desperation, making the two students and the teacher take pity on him.

"Not great to be honest," Angelina shrugged, not wanting to lie to the boy but knowing that if she told him the full extent of how bad Ella was doing, it would kill him.

"Please can you give her this," Fred handed her a piece of parchment, folded in half with Ella's name scrawled across the front. Angelina eyed in hesitantly, not wanting to distress her best friend further, "please," Fred begged, seeing the hesitation, "I haven't seemed to see her to talk to her and I really need her to know how sorry I am and fix things. I don't want her to feel alone," He admitted, his face reddening slightly. It was then it struck Angelina just how much Fred must love her friend. A year ago he very rarely showed much affection to any girl other than flirting and shagging her, never mind spilling out his feelings publicly, potentially leaving himself open to humiliation if any Slytherin were to hear about it.

"Okay," She took pity on the boy and took the letter out of his hand, promising to give it to Ella.

Angelina, Katie and Professor McGonagall made their way up the girls' dormitory stairs to the 6th year girl's room.

"Miss Potter?" Professor McGonagall knocked on the door politely, entering regardless of the lack of a response inside. "Miss Potter?" She repeated softly, once she stepped inside the room, walking towards the bed which had the hangings drawn all the way around it. "Miss Potter," She said once again, in a more stern tone.

"Sorry, professor," Ella grumbled opening the hanging closest to the professor, only marginally so as her head was visible. She sat up slightly, pulling the covers up with her. The professor was taken aback at how run down and skinny the young girl looked, despite being around six months pregnant. Ella's eyes, which were dull and lifeless, had large, dark bags underneath them despite all the time she spent in her bed, supposedly sleeping. Her skin was a pasty white, despite its natural light olive tone.

"Girls, may I be able to speak to Miss Potter privately for a minute?" McGonagall requested, turning to the two students who had fetched her, informing her of their concerns about their fellow classmate. Both girls nodded and went to exit the room, before Angelina turned back around remembering the letter in her hand.

"I promised Fred I'd give it to you. You don't have to read it if you don't want but he's a wreck without you," Angelina smiled almost apologetically as she placed the letter on her best friend's nightstand and followed Katie in exiting the room.

McGonagall promptly opened the rest of the hanging, which had been partially opened, and sat down on the bed next to her student. "Tell me, dear, what's going on?" She asked, her voice riddled with concern and worry.

"I'm fine, just tired that's all," Ella feigned happiness with a weak attempt of a smile.

"Don't lie to Miss Potter. I've been working with kids long enough to know when they're lying. You aren't attending lessons or meals and no one, even your roommates to a certain extent, haven't seen you in days. Ever since a break up, I'm lead to believe?" She asked. Ella opened her mouth to protest she was fine but her words got caught in her throat as tears began to form pools in her eyes. Ella nodded before shaking her head, getting wound up.

"I don't know what to do professor," Her voice shook, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill at any moment, "I can't do it on my own," Ella said, getting increasingly frantic and her breathing becoming increasingly erratic.

"Shhh, shhh my child," Professor McGonagall pulled her student into her side patting her back to soothe her. Despite her usual sternness and dislike for fuss, the professor couldn't help but pity the girl and the situation in which she was stuck in. "Things like this often find a way of sorting themselves out. Just remember, you have a lot of people around you that care very greatly about you and even if you and Mr Weasley don't reconcile, you will never be alone in raising this child," She reassured Ella as her breathing began to return to a more normal pace and stood up, "Now I'll leave you to read the letter if you wish and I expect to see at breakfast tomorrow morning and if not I will require to be admitted into the hospital wing," Professor McGonagall said, her famous sternness returning to her tone, as she exited the room leaving Ella to dwell over the letter.

Ella reluctantly reached to her nightstand and picked up the letter with shaky hands. She didn't want to read it. She wanted to stay mad at Fred for what he'd said and done but she had accused him of being childish and by not reading the letter, she was being just as stubborn and childish as he had been but with worse intentions.

_Ella,  
I know you probably hate me right now and in truth I don't really blame you. I just hope you're okay. Know whatever you decide, even if that is that you never want us to get back together, that I will always be there for our baby. You're not alone. I love you so much and I can't sleep or eat not knowing how you are doing. I'm so sorry I was such an arse.  
Loving you forever,  
Fred_

Ella smiled despite herself. He had an odd way of doing that to her. She reread it once, then twice and then for a third time. She drifted into the first proper sleep she had had since their argument, the letter still resting on her chest and the hangings around her bed undrawn.

"Aww, look at her," Katie sighed with relief as she and Alicia entered the room they shared with Ella, "and she read his letter. Maybe things are looking up."


	30. Are we friends?

**hi everyone :) sorry it took so long to get this update out but I'm in Greece (which is absolutely lovely). I've written this chapter on my phone, however, and despite proof reading it there might well be quite a few more typos than normal so I apologise in advance is there is. Thanks and remember to keep reading, reviewing and enjoying **

**xoxo- C**

Chapter 36

Ella awoke early the next morning, before any of the others in her dorm. She got up, both Fred's and McGonagall's words still fresh in her mind, including the threat that if she didn't attend breakfast that morning she would be made to go into the hospital wing. She quickly showered, washing herself thoroughly, realising just how much she had let herself go since the breakup. She felt a pang in her chest every time she thought back to it but then she would remind herself of what Fred had written and that there was always a chance that they would get back together, after all, they were Ella and Fred, Fred and Ella. They came as a pair.

Getting out of the shower, she dried herself quickly, stopping for breath as the baby gave her a sharp boot.

"Oi," She whispered to her stomach with a laugh, "pack it in,"

She dried her hair with a simple charm and let in fall down, below her shoulders, in their natural messy waves and loose curls. She applied a thin layer of makeup, despite the fact she normally barely bothered with any makeup for lessons, so as to hide her unusually pale complexion and large bags. She then changed into her uniform, after placing another extension charm on her school skirt when she struggled to squeeze it over her quickly growing bump.

Once back in the room, she smiled at her two friends as they bustled around their room searching for various items of clothes, shoes and makeup. Katie gave her a large smile as she saw her enter in her uniform, meaning she meant to attend lessons today.

Ella made her way down to breakfast with Angelina, who had called in on her way down to check on Ella and was surprised to see her ready to go. Before the pair entered the Great Hall, Angelina turned to her best friend and hugged her tightly around her bump.

"It's so good to have you back," Angelina smiled.

"It's good to be back," Ella lied, wishing she was back tucked up in her bed now that the moment to face Fred was upon her. Before they could enter, Ella heard her name being called behind her and turned only to be charged at and engulfed by her brother.

"Hey, Harry," She laughed, hugging her brother back.

"Come on," He took her hand in his and pulled her into the hall, sensing her nerves and forcing her to enter before she made a run back for her bed, not that she could much faster than a walk with the slight waddle she had going on thanks to the large baby that seemed to be constantly growing inside of her. Despite the fact that the pair had only known each other for a little over nine months- in their conscious memories anyway- they knew each other inside out. They could pick up on what the other was feeling without even having to ask and they both loved it.

Ella breathed a sigh of relief as she neared the table to see that the twins were nowhere to be seen. However, as always in these situations, her relief was short lived. The group ate their breakfast in an awkward silence, the tension in the atmosphere could have been cut with a knife.

They all waited for one another to finish their meals politely before standing and leaving.

"Can we talk?" Fred said quietly to Ella from behind her.

"I need to get to transfiguration," Ella muttered, trying to hurry away, only to be followed.

"You forgetting that you take that subject with my year," He laughed lightly but stopped abruptly at seeing her pained expression. "Please," He begged as they began to lag behind the rest of the group who were all starting to separate to their various lessons.

"Okay," Ella gave up and looked around finding somewhere private for them to talk. She spotted an empty looking classroom and beckoned towards it, "In here,"

She closed the door behind them and turned to Fred who was perched on the edge of the desk closest to the doo, obviously unsure of what to say. "Talk," She said shortly.

"I'm so, so sorry," He started, taking her hands in his as he pulled her closer to him where he was perched, "I don't know what I was thinking. In fact, I wasn't thinking at all but I promise I won't do it again. You were right, I needed to grow up and the thought of losing you –losing you both- it made me realise I had to and I will never act so irrationally again," He spoke, unable to get the words out quick enough.

"You say all this, but your irrational temper is a part of you," Ella sighed.

"Yes, but I can learn to control it and I'm trying to from now I on. I know I can't just let it take over anymore. I need to think what is best for both you and our little baby first," He spoke softly, moving a hand to her stomach, where the baby was kicking out a steady rhythm. Ella just looked at him, unable to reply so he continued. "I love you so much, El, and our little one. We're going to be a proper little family. Me and George have been looking at premises for our business after we leave school and we've been looking at ones with flats above so the three of us could move in and all be together, just like we should be," He told her, knowing that the fact he had all these plans would soothe her. "I love you and I know you love me too,"

"I…" Ella began to protest but found she couldn't.

"I know you do," He moved his hand from her stomach and placed two fingers gently on her lips, silencing her, "Since we broke up, you've lost weight whilst you're meant to rapidly be gaining it; I can tell you haven't been sleeping because, despite your best efforts to hide them with makeup, you've got bags under your eyes and you've lost that sparkle in your eye." He stated, moving a hand up to trace the line of her cheek bone. "I know you too well for you to tell me that you're doing fine. You're not and you need help," He moved his hand again to run it through her soft, messy hair, gently pulling her head slightly closer to his own before leaning into to her lips as he grazed them softly with his own, lingering over hers awaiting a response aside from the fidgeting of her fingers which were entwined with his own. She responded by stepping forward and pushing her lips hard against his. She had forgotten how good his lips felt on her own as they tingled. She melted into Fred as the kiss depended.

"Fred…" She gasped, pulling away from the kiss, just for him pull her lips back to his own. She allowed herself the pleasure for a moment before she used her will power and pulled away, placing a firm hand on his chest, increasing the distance between them. "Stop," She panted.

"Why?" Fred persisted.

"I think we're best just as friends for a short while, until you prove to me that you're actually taking responsibility for your actions," She sighed, trying to pull away further but Fred kept a tight hold of her hand, afraid that if he let her go, she would never come back.

"W…what?" He stammered in shock. He had allowed himself to get his hopes up and believe that they would be getting back together.

"I'm not going to stop you from seeing your baby or anything but I need to know that you really mean it when you talk about growing up before I allow myself to become dependent on you again. I don't mean stop pulling pranks, as that's just you and I can see you still pulling pranks when you're in a nursing home. I just mean until I feel you can take responsibility for and control your temper, I can't get back with you. I can't get hurt, I need to be strong for our child." She sighed, moving back to Fred, resting her forehead, sorrowfully on his.

"I understand," He sighed himself. He hated it. He hated the thought of not being able to hold her close at night a kiss her softly and attentively, but he could see where she was coming from, "You're far too responsible and wise for your age," He half teased.

"Shut up," She chuckled, "We better get going or McGonagall will kill us."

The morning's lessons passed by with relative ease for Ella. She was glad to have sorted things out with Fred and was just glad to be moving forward despite the pain she still felt in her chest when she thought of how they were no longer together, but just friends was good, she kept telling herself. At least it was a start before she pit her heart on the line again.

Fred, on the other hand, spent all morning mulling over how he was going to gain her trust again, paying no attention to the lessons going on around him. He understood and respected how Ella felt but that wasn't going to stop him. If there was thing he did understand clearly at the moment, it was that he wanted...no...needed her back more than anything.

"Earth to Fred," George called, waving a hand in front of his twin'a face.

"Huh?" Fred pulled out of his thoughts, turning to his twin, only just realising he was stood up with everything off of his desk packed into his bag.

"We were dismissed a few minutes ago and you still haven't moved. At this rate we're going to miss lunch," George teased.

"Oh, sorry" Fred mumbled sweeping all of his belongings from the desk into his bag sloppily.

"Guessing it didn't go brilliant with Ella then?" George asked, not having had chance to speak to his twin properly since he'd pulled his ex into a room for a chat. If it had been any other girl, which he didn't get on with as well as he did with Ella, he would be wishing that it could go back to the good old times when the twins used to compete with who could pull the most and a relationship was classed as a long term one if lasted more than a couple of weeks. But she wasn't, she was good for his brother and George knew this but a small part of still went nostalgic about how much easier it was.

"She just wants to be friends," Fred shrugged. George could tell his twin was obviously gutted about it.

"Well, we'll have to change her mind on that one," George said with a mischievous grin, which Fred returned, laughing slightly. "Now lunch, I'm starved." The two boys walked out of the class room and to the Great Hall, laughing, talking and plotting properly for the first time since the break up.

That evening, after dinner, Ella sat in the common room with Angelina and Katie working at various essays and assignments. Ella and Katie's O. were soon arriving and the pair were cramming for them now. Ella had already got the O.W.L equivalent in potions, transfiguration and herbology, getting an O in both potions and transfiguration but only just scraped a pass in herbology. She still wanted to do as well as she could, feeling she owed it to he unborn child in an attempt to provide it with a more secure future.

Just at that moment, Lee, Fred and George all came climbing through the portrait hole, laughing exuberantly at the prank they'd just been plotting against the Slytherins.

"So, what are you boring lot doing?" Lee asked, taking a seat at seat at the girl's table.

"Trying to work," Katie grumbled, getting more frustrated the more she didn't understand her charms theory. Practically, Katie was very talented but when came to the theory side of their subjects, she was mediocre at best and normally she didn't care but the with the stress of exams, it was starting to get to her.

"Let's go for a walk around the lake," Fred suggested, joining the group with George.

"It's our owls in a few weeks," Ella complained, torn between the right thing to do and what she wanted to do.

"and that is why you deserve a break more than ever ," George gave a wicked grin.

"Just to relax," Fred continued.

"just to have some fun," George carried on his twin's sentence.

'Before your minds explode," both twins said together, causing the rest of the group to laugh in awe of their synchronisation. The three girls all exchanged looks before turning back to the boys.

"Okay," Ella shrugged.

George shot a large grin at his twin which, whilst Ella remained oblivious to it, the other two girls didn't let it go unnoticed and rolled their eyes knowing exactly what George was thinking.  
"I'll just grab the butterbeer from our room," Lee announced, bounding up the stairs. On his return, the group headed off to the lake side.  
They laughed, joked and the butterbeers for a good couple of hours before any one of them queried the time. Katie was the one to ask, suddenly remembering the mass of O.W.L preparation she still had left to do back up at the castle.  
"It's ten thirty," Angelina replied, looking at her watch in shock.  
"But it's so light. How did it get that late?" Katie moaned leaning into Lee's side, causing a few eyebrows to be raised but Ella knew her friend was just one of those people was quite physical, hugger type.  
"Longest day," George answered.  
"I think we should stay out here until it goes dark," Fred wiggled his eyebrows cheekily.  
"But..." Ella began to protest but Fred just raised an eyebrow at her. "Okayyy..." She sighed.  
"How about a game or two?" Lee suggested.  
"HIDE AND SEEK!" Katie yelled before anyone else could even think about various games.  
"What's that?" Angelina laughed at her friends excitement.  
"It's a muggle kids game. It's pretty self explanatory, everyone hides apart from one person who looks for the ones in hiding. I can't believe you've never played it!" Katie exclaimed. Fred leaned over to Ella, who was sitting next to him, and said quietly close to her ear,  
"Just wait a few years and we could be teaching this to our kid," he winked, running a hand with two outstretched fingers, up her arm, causing it to tingle as everything in Ella's body was telling her that she wanted him. Ella just laughed and playfully shoved him away from her, hoping to hide how it made her feel.  
"I'll be on first," Lee announced, "

"you lot go and hide but it has to be outside and we're not allowed in the forbidden Forest. I'll send yellow sparks into the air " he told them, making the girls giggle at his unusual authoritive manner, "1...2...3..." Lee began to count as the rest of the group scattered in different directions.  
Due to Ella's size and slight immobility she had going on at the moment, she thought it best to head far away from the base they had previously been sat at, seen as she wouldn't be able to make any quick, smooth get aways she might have been able to sixth months prior. Eventually she found a gap in a hedge, facing away from the lake side that would hide her quite nicely. By the time she reached her hiding place, 2 sets of yellow sparks had already been sent up into the summer evening's sky, meaning there was only three of them left in the game, including herself.  
After a few minutes, Ella held her breath as she hurried heard foot steps quickly approaching. A familiar, tall, ginger mop head game rushing to seek refuge behind the same bush when he saw her hidden discreetly in the bush.  
"Good hiding spot, didn't see you there," Fred grinned and winked at her, "they nearly just caught me," he laughed lightly at the memory of his close call, thanking Merlin he was a twin so he couldn't be identified from the back.  
"Keep rambling and you're going to get me found as well," Ella teased. Fred was about to retort when another set of yellow sparks were emitted into the sky close by them.  
"Just you and me, now," Fred whispered, stepping closer to her. Ella nodded.  
"We better split up or there'll be no winner and seen as I'm too big to hide in most places that leaves you," she smirked.  
"And we all know how competitive you get," Fred chuckled, remembering the game of exploding snap which got rigged to explode in his face but it was miscalculated and poorly executed-in his professional prankster's opinion- leading to it fully blowing up in Ron's face, burning his eyebrow's completely off and knocking over an innocent by standing first year.  
"I am not that..." Ella started but she was cut off by Fred pressing index and middle fingers to her mouth to silence her whilst he was looking around. Sure enough, Ella also heard voices and foot steps approaching. Without warning Fred pushed Ella further into the gap, pressing himself close against her so he too couldn't be seen. They both tried to keep their breathing as quiet as possible to listen out for the voices as they advanced. Fred quickly bent down, nestling his head into Ella's neck, to keep himself from being seen over the hedge. The proximity of his body was killing her, and he knew it. Her skin burned where his was pressed against her.  
"Fred," she whispered, highly uncomfortable, trying to squirm out of their position.  
"Shhh" he hushed her, his hot breath setting her neck alight, causing her breath to hitch, which didn't go unnoticed by Fred as he smirked at her reaction.  
The voices of Katie and Lee came past.  
"Where are they?" They heard Katie ask, sounding very exasperated.  
"I dunno," Lee grunted, obviously fed up.  
"come on, let's carry on," Katie told him. Fred and Ella listened as their footsteps faded away.  
"Fred," Ella said again, this time a bit louder than before.  
"Huh?" He removed his face from being buried in her neck so as he could look at her, ensuring their faces were still only centimetres apart.  
"They're gone now, you can move," she hinted heavily, growing increasingly uncomfortable at his touch, determined to not let the longing show in her eyes.  
"I know but I was quite enjoying it," Fred said grinning impishly, not moving even a fraction, locking his eyes on her.  
"Umm," Ella stalled, trying to think of what to say back. Fred took the opportunity to move even closer to her, their lips almost touching. His breath made her lips tingle widely, as she concentrated on trying to keep her breathing steady, her mouth becoming like a desert. Whilst subconsciously licking her lips, her tongue grazed Fred's lips tantalisingly. The intimate touch made Fred's mind go blank and all he could think about was how much he wanted her, an emotion he could see reflected in Ella's eyes. He moved forward, lightly pressing her lips on his own.  
"Ahh!" Ella gasped quickly pulling away.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean..." Fred began, jumping back, assuming he'd startled her, until he saw she was doubled over. "Ella, what is it?" Fred asked urgently, guiding her out of he bushes by her shoulders and to the closest tree for her to lean against. She didn't reply, still not looking at him as she clutched her stomach, her breathing becoming increasingly erratic. "El, speak to me. What's wrong? Is it the normal pain?" She nodded, letting out another gasp. "Oh, Merlin." Fred groaned. "I should have made you stay in bed like Madame Pomfrey said!" He cursed himself.  
"Fred," she gasped through panting breaths, "hospital wing,"  
He nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck for her and scooping her up in his strong arms and began to hurry along the path back to the castle, her head resting on his broad chest as her fingers clutched to the back of his shirt.  
"They're there!" George shouted from just in front of them, closely followed by Angelina who, by her worried expression, had taken in the scene before her and figured something must be wrong.  
"Ella!" Angelina ran past George, who just gawped in shock as he too began to realise what was going on.  
"She needs to go to the hospital wing," Fred panted, not slowing his pace in the slightest.  
"What's happened?" George asked worriedly, turning as the small group over took him, and ran after them.  
"I think it's the baby," Fred bit his lip, "El, you need to stay awake for me," he spoke softly but urgently as he saw her eyes beginning to drift shut, when looking down at her.  
Ella heard her voice being called a couple more times before her heavy eyelids won the battle and she was engulfed in darkness.


	31. Frolicking in school now, Miss Potter?

"Freddie?" George spoke softly as he rested his hand on his twin's shoulder from behind. His brother had been sat in the hospital wing, next to the bed of his pregnant ex girl friend since she'd been rushed up there the night before, not leaving her side for breakfast, lunch or any of his lessons that day. "It's time for dinner," George prompted.

"Not hungry." Fred said shortly, his eyes not leaving young girl's, waiting anxiously for her to wake. She hadn't woken up since she'd passed out on the way up to see Madame Pomfrey.

"Please mate, you need to eat," George pleaded his brother.

"I can't, not until I know she's okay. Not until they're both okay," He told his twin determinedly, covering her small hand, which was already in one of his hands, with his other, giving it a gentle squeeze, urging her to wake up.

"Please, mate," George urged.

"I said no." Fred sad shortly.

"I'll bring you something from the kitchens later," George resolved. He had wanted Fred to take a break from the on edge position of sat waiting for someone- especially someone you love- to wake up, but he still needed food, even if he wasn't going to leave her side. As he was walking out, George turned and called to his brother once again. "And Fred,"

"Hmm?" Fred turned to face him.

"I'm sure they'll both be okay. Remember Madame Pomfrey said she thinks it's just her body letting her get the rest it needs," he tried to comfort.

"Merlin, I hope she's right," he opened his hands and placed a single, nurturing kiss on her own.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

Ella awoke unsure of where she was and why she was there. She recognised the place as somewhere familiar. It was large light and airy, although shapes were only just beginning to come into focus.

It was then if dawned on her that she was in the hospital. Memories and images of what had happened began to flood her already sore head. She raised her head slightly to look out of one of the large bay windows opposite her and saw it looked around dusk. As she took in her surroundings, she looked down to her right to see Fred fast asleep sat in the chair next to her, his head resting on her bed, his hand clutching one of her own. She gave it a gentle squeeze to try and wake him up.

"Urgh, go back to sleep," he groaned, still half asleep. He must have been in a very deep sleep, Ella thought chucking to herself. All of a sudden, his mind seemed to switch on and his head sprung up from where it had previously been lain, his eyes wide with both shock and elation. "Ella? You're awake?" He said in disbelief, wrapping his arms tight around her.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Ella asked, severely disorientated, as he set her back.

"About a full 24 hours now," Fred glanced at his watch, "I need to go and get Madame Pomfrey," he stood up, kissing her on the forehead attentively before leaving the room towards the mediwitch's office.

"Thank you my dear," Madame said to Fred as she came rushing in, before turning to Ella, "do you wish Mr Weasley to stay whilst I exam you and ask a few questions?"

Ella glanced up at the tall boy, who was looking at her with his soft, caring brown eyes. She felt sick. She knew there was something wrong with the baby. She just knew it. It hadn't been kicking as much or with as much force over the past couple of days. She nodded, reaching out an open hand, which Fred moved forward and took, retaking his seat next to her.

"Very well," Madame Pomfrey began waving her wand over Ella is several fluid movements, muttering various incantations. "Would you like to hear baby's heartbeat?" She asked the young parents to be. They looked one an other in agreement before nodding eagerly. The sound of a steady pulse filled the room. Fred squeezed Ella's hand as he noticed pools of unshed tears form in her eyes.

"That's our baby," Fred said softly, a single tear trickled down his cheek, completely overwhelmed by the copious emotions rushing at him, unrelentingly, like a tsunami hitting a coast. Ella looked up at him and chuckled softly, reaching up her other hand and wiping away his tear.

"You softy," she teased, causing them both to chuckle softly, their elation overwhelming.

"Good, the heartbeat could be more regular but nothing to fuss over too much. Do you want to find out the sex?" Madame Pomfrey asked. Fred and Ella looked at each other, instantly knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

"No thank you, we'd like it to be a surprise," Ella shook her head politely.

"Not a problem. The baby is, however, lying slightly oddly which, although uncommon, might possibly causing your pain. It's also a fair bit smaller than I would expect at this stage. I am lead to believe there has been some sort of slight rupture in the umbilical chord somewhere, which is causing you so much pain and baby to not be as big as expected. Either that or there is another undetectable issue but your child is healthy enough so don't fret,"

"What does that mean though?" Ella asked cautiously, sensing the nurse was yet to finish.

"It means, my dear, I am going to ask you to stay in here under my eye until your baby is born," she informed them in a tone which was not to be messed with.

"What about the final task?" Fred asked, still clutching Ella's hand tightly as though if he were to let go he'd lose her.

"I'll speak to Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore again as I do not want you leaving my care if at all possible, that includes meals," Ella nodded and the mediwitch went back to her office.

"Why is it that she always seems to have loads to do even when she only has one patient?" Fred joked, scanning the empty room, apart from themselves, then the nurse bustling around hurriedly in her office.

"I've got to be one of her biggest regulars by now," Ella groaned, sitting up in her bed, before laughing along with Fred.

"Maybe I could get you loyalty card to this place for Christmas,"

"You're awful to me," Ella laughed, play punching him in the arm.

"Only 'cause I love you," he teased, stopping abruptly realising what he'd said, "erm...well..." He stuttered. "It came out wrong. I...Erm..."

"It's fine," Ella rested a soothing hand on his thigh, "I still love you."

Without another word, he moved to sit on the edge of her bed, never breaking the eye contact as he stared into her crisp emerald eyes, full of longing, and brought down his lips to meet hers, kissing her with raw hunger. Ella kissed him back with the same passion and hunger. Finally, they parted for breath, both panting heavily in an attempt to catch their breath, resting their foreheads on one another's.

"I'm sor..."Fred began to apologise before he was promptly cut of by Ella's lips pressing on his own firmly.

"Don't," she breathed, "I need you, Fred Weasley and not as just a friend,"

Not knowing how else to respond, Fred pulled her into another gentle kiss. Ella tilted her head back slightly, encouraging him to deepen the kiss as she slid her arms around his neck, entwining her hands in his hair. He obliged by running his tongue tantalisingly along her bottom lip asking for entry; which she granted. He had his own arms wrapped around her waist, one against the small of her back.

Ella moved her hands towards his back and guided him to on top of her.

"Fred..." Ella whispered- glancing over to Madame Pomfrey's office, relieved to see it was now in darkness- as he moved his lips to make a trail of kisses down her neck to her collar bone, leaving in it's wake a pleasant burning sensation on her skin.

"Huh?" He asked not bothering to move his lips away from her chest as he worked his way along it kissing, licking and nipping gently with his teeth as he went.

"My wand..." She said with a shiver from the wondrous feeling his was creating with his teeth. Fred understood what she meant, pulled his own wand out of his back pocket and used it to close the privacy curtain around the bed and place a silencing charm over them, before returning and ridding them both of their shirts.

He then moved his lips back to her own, as his hands ignited sparks of their own as they made their way to the belt of her trousers.

"Please..." Ella groaned, no longer afraid to show her longing for him. Fred obliged, pulling down both of their trousers then underwear. He let out a loud moan as he felt her naked form pushed against his bare skin. With one single fluid movement, he entered her, much more gently and attentively than ever before, but with equal passion. He thrusted into her, cupping and playing with her breasts as he did so until they both hit their climax together and lay in a tangled mess of limbs and bed sheet.

Carefully, he pulled the covers over the two of them and snaked an arm around Ella's waist, pulling her into the comfort and warmth of his chest. Within seconds, both were fast asleep, their minds finally relenting in keeping them awake visions of them being with one another now they lay soundly in each others' arms.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

"Shit!" Ella woke with a start as she woke to see light beginning to pour through the hospital windows. She turned around to face Fred, whose arms still held her tightly around her waist. "Fred!" She hissed urgently.

"Huh?" He replied, barely woken.

"Wake up you idiot! Pomfrey 'll have a cow if see comes into find us like this!"

"It's the middle of the night..." He groaned, not wanting the feeling of her in his arms to end.

"It's light..." She stated plainly. Fred opened one of his eyes disbelievingly.

"Shit!" He repeated Ella's sentiments as he too saw just how light it was growing. For all they knew the school nurse could be on her way to their- well Ella's- bed at that moment.

Begrudgingly, Fred untwined his arms from his girlfriend's bare waist and rolled himself out of the hospital bed. He quickly found his boxers and trousers, shoving them on, before scooping up Ella's clothes from the floor and passing them to her.

"Have you seen my shirt?" He asked lazily, as he reminisced over the night before.

"It's there," Ella whispered urgently, pointing to where his shirt was slung over the back of the chair he'd been sat on whilst she was unconscious.

Once all their clothes had been recovered and Fred was sat back in the seat he knew Madame Pomfrey would expect to find him in, he just watched Ella drift in and out of a light sleep with a contented smile.

"What?" Ella giggled at his expression as her eyes flickered open.

"We should make up more often," Fred teased, flashing his easy lopsided grin that seemed to make him so irresistible to the opposite sex of Hogwarts. Ella tried to her to scowl at him trying to reprimand him but a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"You got me, Weasley," she laughed as he still looked at her with his puppy dog eyes that had gotten him out of far more trouble than either of them cared to admit.

"You know," Fred announced cheerfully, pulling his chair closer to the bed, until the two objects were touching, and cupping a hand around the far side of her face, "I think this is my favourite freckle," he placed a single finger on the freckle which lay under her right eyebrow.

"Stalker," Ella laughed at his...how should she put it...uniqueness, at times.

"I can't help it if you're beautiful," he grinned dopily.

"Urggh, I can't stand the cheese," Ella buried her head in her pillow, cringing at his corniness.

"Would you rather me call you ugly?" Fred asked teasingly.

"Yes." She stated. "Yes I would actually,"

"Fine," Fred huffed in faux aggravation, "how is my ugly girlfriend doing today?"

"Much better thanks to my hideous boyfriend," Ella let out a loud joyous laugh, causing her to snort, as he pretended to be hurt.

~~~~~~~c~~~~~~~

Harry was pacing in front of the fireplace in the common room after dinner. It had been several days since the longest and Ella had been taken into the hospital wing but no one head very much at all other then she was doing better.

"Harry, please sit down. You're not doing anything other than wearing the carpet out at the minute," Hermione reasoned with her friend. Harry glared at her.

"She's my sister! My only family and they're still saying no more visitors but also not even saying how she's doing! She could be in a coma for all we know!" Harry yelled at his best friends, who were sitting side by side on the fire front sofa, staring at their distressed friend with equally worried expressions.

"I know mate," Ron said softer, realising Hermione's hard line approach wasn't going to get them anywhere, "we'll find a way of getting you in to see her."

Harry shot them both an apologetic look, although his face still warped with concern, as he sat in between them both and the trio began to discuss ways in which he could get in.

"Hey," Angelina called to them, crossing the nearly empty common room to speak to them, "I couldn't help over hearing you're trying to get in the hospital wing to see your sister,"

"Yeah?" Harry asked uncertainly, the lack of sleep due to stress and worry making him snappier than normal.

"Well I was just about to go and kick Fred out of the hospital wing and make him come back here seen as he won't have washed in five days no, the disgusting boy," Angelina pulled a face, laughing , "would you like me to sneak you in?"

"Yes!" Harry sprang up, thanking his quidditch teammate profusely as he dashed towards the boys' staircase. "I just need to get something," he called from half way up the staircase.

Sure enough, within less than a minute, Harry bounded down the stairs holding his invisibility cloak under his arm. With that, the pair made their way to the hospital wing, both anxious to see Ella but keeping themselves distracted with talk of the next years quidditch season.

"Put it on," Angelina told Harry softly as they reached the large doors of the hospital wing's entrance. Harry slid cloak over his head, concealing himself. "Come on then," Angelina smiled at him, taking the lead and opening the door.

She saw Ella's bed on the left hand side in the middle of the room instantly seeing as she was the only current patient.

"Ange," Ella exclaimed as she saw her best friend walking towards her. Fred snapped his head around to see who was breaking Madame Pomfrey's strict visiting rules.

"Hey, Ella," she sat on the edge of her best friend's bed, smiling down at her in relief that she seemed okay. "Fred, I'll keep her company tonight. You go back to the dorm tonight,"

"It's alright, I need to stay with her," Fred tried to protest causing him to receive incredulous glares from the two girls before they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Absolute gobshite," Angelina barked, close to hysterics. Fred looked confused and disgruntled in uncertainty of what the two girls found so funny.

"Hun," Ella reached her hand out and placed it on his knee, taking sympathy on him and explaining, "you've been here five days and I've been absolutely fine for four of them so I can assure you that nothing bad's going to happen if you actually leave my friend to keep me company for a while. And not to mention, five days is a long time to go without showering or washing properly and you're starting to smell a bit," she teased. He looked between his girlfriend and his friend and starting to realise that they weren't going to take no for an answer but giving it his best shot anyways.

"But..." He started to protest.

"Go and sleep in your own bed," she instructed him, sounding more like his mother than his girlfriend with her firm tone.

"Plus it can't be doing you any favours sleeping On that chair," Angelina added.

"I haven't been sleeping in the chair," he protested, causing Ella to give him a warning glare, so he quickly added, "I've been sleeping in one of the spare beds every night,"

"Stop making excuses and go, I'll be fine," Ella laughed.

"Okay," he finally said reluctantly, seeing her genuine smile, reassuring him she could be in no pain. He kissed Ella's forehead for bidding them both a good night and left the wing.

"Careful when you get back in the common room though because there's probably a good half a dozen people waiting to throttle you for not even thinking to let us know how the invalid was getting on," Angelina called teasingly as he reached the entrance. He turned and shot them his dopey lop sided grin- which he and his twin had perfected whilst becoming the school heartbreakers- and his eyes danced with mischief, before leaving and closing the door behind him. Ella sighed, it was so refreshing seeing him full of life and mischief again, just as he'd been that day they first met. For a pair like the two of them and of their age, their relationship had had to become very serious very quickly, which Ella thought was a great shame really. None the less, he'd stood by her and her child and she couldn't have been more grateful.

The second the door clicked shut, Harry discarded his cloak. His sudden appearance from no where caused Ella to let out a loud scream. When she realised who it was she burst out in more joyous laughter, having missed her friends and her brother.

"Harry!" She squealed pulling him down to her height for a hug. "I've missed you both so much,"

"How are you feeling?" He asked, looking at her wearily as though she was going to break on him at any moment.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she waved a hand dismissively, "I just need to stay on bed rest," she then recounted to the two of them what she's been told by Madame Pomfrey.

After an hour or so of swapping stories and filling Ella in on the new school gossip- it was after all a boarding school, so there was always plenty- Harry, despite his best efforts to muffle it, gave a wide yawn.

"Harry, you go off to bed," Ella said looking at her little brother with a bemused expression as he sat there almost falling asleep but refusing to move, "you need your sleep,"

"Okay," he admitted defeat, realising himself just his tired he was, "as long as you'll be staying Ang," he turned to the older girl.

"'Cause I will," she cut in as Ella was about to protest. When the door had clicked shut and he was out of earshot, she turned to her friend with raised eyebrows and a knowing smirk, "so other beds, has he?" She teased.

"What are you on about?" She said feigning innocence.

"Don't tell me he's actually left your side other than when he's absolutely had and nature's calling and if he hasn't been sleeping in the chair..." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Okay, you got me..." Ella laughed at how ridiculous her friend looked.

"So are the two of you back together now then?!" She asked excitedly, not unlike a three year old at Christmas, Ella thought with a chuckle.

"Yeah I suppose we are," ella laughed. She'd never really had many girl friends before. She'd always preferred boys' company and the way they deal with things. If a lad has an issue with another lad, he confronts him, they fight it out then the winner wins, the loser loses and they call a truce and solve their differences...on the most part. Girls, on the other hand, can take weeks of excessive bitching and vicious rumouring spreading behind their backs before there is even a confrontation. But she was really glad she had Angelina as a friend. The pair gossiped and talked like only two girls can.

"I want all the all the dirty details," Angelina raised a suggestive eyebrow, letting out another bark of laughter. Ella then relayed the story of her's and Fred's reconciliation and when they were done both fell asleep, exhausted.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~~

Ella was awoken mid-night by a knock at the door, followed by hushed, urgent voices in the hospital wing.

"Minerva, I take it you have heard from the ministry," she heard the hushed voice of the nurse ask. Ella quickly shook awake her best friend, indicating over to the pair in answer to her questioning looks, before they both pretended to be sleeping to enable them to keep listening.

"I'm afraid our hands are tied, there's nothing we can do," they heard their head of house reply.

"But the girl simply can't compete," Madame Pomfrey sounded distressed and exasperated, "it's putting her and her child in danger. She shouldn't be leaving her bed all together never mind taking part in dangerous, barbaric tournaments,"

"I know," McGonagall sighed, "but only Igor can do anything and he's adamant the girl's got to compete. What I'd like to know is how he's still allowed to make these decisions about her whilst he's under arrest in the castle and awaiting a trial whilst there's an on going investigation into reports of abuse to this particular student," she too sounded very fed up.

"We better move this to my office," the nurse suggested, looking over at the sleeping girls.

Ella remained pretending to sleep to avoid her friend's questions. She couldn't deal with them now. Maybe in the morning, but not now. Now, she needed to think about what on earth she was to do and try to get some sleep. However, once she heard Angelina's heavier breathing again, she just lay staring up at the ceiling, no great emotion coming to her. She certainly wasn't happy, but she wasn't sad or angry either, she was simply empty.


	32. The Third Task

**Sorry for taking so atrociously long to update, with being on holiday, then camp, then at wedding all whilst working I'm afraid this story go pushed down my to do list. But I promise it'll never happen again :3 okay, so it's the long awaited third task and by far my longest chapter to make up for how late I've been in updating so enjoy and please review to tell me what you think :)**

**Xoxo- C**

Chapter 38

_Dear Ella,_

_I've heard from Harry about what happened last week. I hope both you and the baby are well. However, it is the final task next week and, I'm sorry, but it's notorious for being the most brutal and challenging of all three so you see why I am worrying. I take it you'll no longer be competing? Any news on the Karkaroff trial? Remus is asking after you and tells me to tell you that he hopes you are okay even though I've already expressed to him that he could quite easily write to you himself but it appears he's too lazy. Anyway, ignore my rambling and let us know. _

_Stay safe,_

_Padfoot_

Ella sighed as she read his letter with a smile, before pulling out some parchment and a pen from the bag of school work and supplies that Katie and Angelina had been bringing her from lessons.

_Dear Padfoot,_

_I'm just on bed test but I'll be fine. Tell Remus that I'm absolutely fine and that he should stop worrying because between him, Fred and Harry I'll have caused enough grey hairs to sprout to fill an entire head in this past week. I haven't Harry yet, but I overhear McGonagall telling Madame Pomfrey that I have to compete. We have no other option until Igor allows me to pull out. Oh, and the trial is two weeks after we break up from summer but apart from that, I've been told nothing. _

_All my love,_

_Ella_

She quickly signed the front and handed it to a patiently waiting Hedwig, whom Harry had let her use now she couldn't go to and from the owlery and use a school owl. As she was watching the owl fly off into the horizon, she started thinking. About what lay ahead for her; hers and Fred's relationship and their baby. As hard as she tried, and as much as she wanted to, she just couldn't picture the three of them sat around in their own living room, in the flat above the shop Fred had been promising her he would be getting after he left school. She couldn't picture cooking a meal in the kitchen whilst he was bathing their child in the next room. She couldn't. It all seemed just too domestic. She and Fred were about the least domestic people in the school, along with being the least equipped to raise a child. Six months previously, all the pair of them cared about was partying, having fun, pulling and causing as much trouble as possible. Pushing all of these thoughts out of her head, Ella leant back into her pillows and drifted in and out of a disturbed sleep.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

The week had passed quickly and now here the siblings were, standing hand in hand, about to enter a large maze, making up the final task. They exchanged terrified glances, squeezing one another's hand in an attempt to reassure the other.

The crowd surrounding them had become a blur of people and noise. No individual person nor sound was distinguishable. Ella began to think about those whom she loved and if she were never to see them again, had she left it on a good note with everyone. She shook her head to stop herself. Of course she was going to see her friends again, it was only some stupid tournament. Besides, it was nice to finally be allowed out of the hospital bed which had become a personal prison to her over the past couple of weeks. She then thought back to the champions' tent and her last encounter with her boyfriend.

_"Hey," Fred called to her as he slid the entrance, "How you feeling?"_

_"Brilliant. Better than ever." Ella replied shortly, her nerves causing her to be increasingly irritable. "Sorry," She grunted, realising she'd been unfair. Pregnancy hormones just made everything ten times worse._

_"It's fine, just make sure you look after yourself out there. I know you'll want to protect the others but please just think about yourself," Fred pleaded to his girlfriend, her loyal, selfless nature proving to be rather annoying at times._

_"I know, I know," She sighed in defeat, "It's just going to be hard leaving them all, especially Harry, to face whatever's lurking in there on their own," _

_"We've been over this, you're now in a much more vulnerable position than them. I know you hate to admit it but you are. Can't you see?" He began to sound slightly frantic, terrified that she hadn't actually been listening to a word he'd been saying for the past few months and would be completely reckless out there, not thinking of any potential consequences. She nodded in reluctant agreement. "And remember the plan," He continued, her head now resting on his shoulder as they sat side by side, "The second things become too dangerous- and I mean the second- send up the red sparks to withdraw yourself from the competition. Okay?"_

_"You're not my flaming mother, Fred." She snapped, jerking her head away from him and abruptly standing. "I know what to do, I'm not an idiot although I'm starting to think I must be one for you to feel the need to go on and on as you're doing!" _

_"You know it's just because I care for you," He shot back at her, trying to keep low but failing to keep it completely calm. _

_Just as she opened her mouth to retaliate, Harry appeared at her side._

_"Maybe you should go and join everyone in the stands now Fred before this escalates into something it's not," Harry spoke the voice of reason, which was ironic seeing as he was the youngest in the tent. Fred went to protest but was cut off, "She's my sister. I'll look after her. Now go." And with the tall, redhead left the tent sulking and more anxious than when he entered it. _

"Ready?" Harry asked Ella, pulling her out of her own personal pensive of thoughts, to see that Ludo Bagman was wrapping up his speech and signalling for the contestants to get ready.

"Yeah, you?"

"About as much as I'll ever be," He shrugged.

The pair separated their hands and moved to their spaterate entrances into the maze.

"Now be careful," She heard her headmaster's wise voice echo over the crowd's cheers, "not to lose youselves along the way," and with that, the task began.

The maze was dark and gloomy. The eerie silence was stifling, with no noise other than the quiet rustle of leaves. The maze felt alive and alert despite the lack of any movement. After what felt like an age of wandering around aimlessly, Ella heard footsteps approaching.

"Shit," She cursed under her breath as she pressed herself as far as she could go into one of the bushes of the maze wall. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw her brother turn the corner and ran at him, throwing her arms around him dramatically.

"It's alright," He chuckled, "I've only not seen you for a few minutes." Ella pulled away from him, looking around them curiously.

"What do we do now? Where do we go?"

"Well you can withdraw and go back to safety," Harry said firmly.

"But…" Ella started but gave in realising he wasn't going to let her get away with it. Truth be told, as nervous as she was about the task, she had also been excited for it. She knew it was stupid and irrational, but she wanted to feel that high of an adrenaline rush after a close call. Begrudgingly, she raised her wand above her head and emitted several red sparks. Nothing. She tried again, this time with more force, showering the sky full a bright red glow. Still nothing.

"What's happening?" Harry asked panicked, "Why can't you withdraw?"

"How am I meant to know?" She replied testily.

"Well you once told me you could already apperate so couldn't you just apperate out of here to safety?" He asked with a desperation induced naïve hopefulness.

"The anti-apperation charms are far too strong for me to even try to remove them," She grumbled as the situation began to sink in. "Fuck," She cursed.

"Right, come on," Harry began to walk in the opposite direction from which she'd come from, "and don't leave my side no matter what."

The siblings carried on through the maze, side by side, wands drawn and ready. Suddenly, the once mild rustling of leaves in a light breeze became much more severe and aggressive. A wind currently swirled wildly behind them. As they turned to see the cause of this change, they saw a the gap of the maze snap close in a Mexican wave style, coming towards them, as the bushes seemed to gain a life of their own.

"Shit," They swore together. Harry started running at full speed, still clinging onto his sister's arm. However, due to her largely swollen stomach, her once competent running abilities left a lot to be desired.

"Quickly," Harry urged as she jumped over a large fallen twig, doing her best to run at a decent pace.

"Look at the size of me!" She half joked as she carried on going as fast as her legs would take her.

Finally, they reached a point where the another path through the maze crossed the on which they were on, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the gusts dropped as suddenly as they started and the path on which they'd just been following was now a solid wall of tall, daunting shrubbery.

They carried on through the maze, briefly running into – and hiding from- a bewitched looking Viktor Krum. Ella had to suppress a harsh, bitter laugh as she quickly thought to how quickly Viktor had gone from being like a brother to her, to not wanting to know her once she'd left Durmstrang for Hogwarts. Surely if he was any real friend, he would see her reasons for transferring and put her happiness over a bit of stupid school rivalry. Anyway, he was a fine one to talk on school rivalry considering he took Hermione, her brother's best friend, who was in fact from an opposing school, to the Yule Ball and still seemed to not be ceasing in his fascination of her.

After what felt like hours of trailing through the vicious maze, the two siblings ran into a very competitive Cedric Diggory.

"You scared, Potter?" He sneered in a way which was quite unattractive and really didn't suit him.

"Ced, what's your problem?" Ella snapped with genuine concern and curiosity. The Cedric she'd always known had always been relatively mild, kind and well-mannered and sneering at people the way he just had to her brother was most out of character.

Cedric whirled round to face her, nostrils flared. Before anyone of them could say anymore, the gusts began again causing the rustling to increase dramatically once more.

"Fuck sake," Ella groaned. She'd actually enjoyed being out of her bed and feeling that highly sought after adrenaline rush at first, but now it was beginning to take its toll on her. Her swollen ankles and feet had begun to throb, she felt physically drained and that all too familiar feeling in her lower stomach began to twinge again. Just as they set off at a sprint, she heard Cedric call out in excitement before both boys picked up their pace. Surely enough, she too saw the sparkle of the gold cup stand out against the dark gloomy backdrop of the eerie maze.

With the closing in bushes coming ever closer behind her, as she realised she'd begun to drop her pace, Ella spurted forward with all the energy she could muster. As they neared, Cedric fell to the ground with a loud thud and a cry. She caught up to her brother, where they'd made quite a large advancement up the path, leaving the danger of the contracting path further behind.

"Help!" Cedric pleaded to them as he thrashed against the restraints of the roots and branches pulling him into the ground. "Help!" He repeated. Ella and Harry just stood flickering their gazes between the helpless boy and the shining cup which was now mere metres away. Finally they caught each other's eye and snapped out of their trance and raced forward to help their peer.

"Thanks," Cedric panted genuinely as Harry shot a spell at the monster like plant, causing it to release its hold of the boy. "You know, for a minute there, I thought you were both going to just leave me," He said with a slight chuckle which conveyed no actual joy or hilarity.

"For a moment, I thought we were too," Harry said almost sinisterly. It had shocked them both, how the thought of fame, money and glory could lead them to almost doing something so cowardly and cruel as to leave their friend- a friend who had saved their skins by helping them in the previous task- thrashing around in pain and fear on the floor.

"Come on," Ella broke into the boys' conversation as she stood staring at the ever approaching wall of dark magical shrubbery.

The three of them set off at a run once more toward the cup, which stood glistening and gleaming through the dark and gloom, in an almost hauntingly romantic way.

"You two take it," Cedric urged them.

"No, if it's anyone's it's Harry's," Ella interjected.

"Shut up, the both of you," Harry said in such an uncharacteristically harsh and assertive tone, that, in any other circumstance would have caused his sister to burst out into fits of side splitting laughter, "you," He grabbed a hold of his sister's arm, "aren't leaving my side. And you," He pointed over to the older boy, "have done just as much as me so take it aswell,"

"Okay," Cedric resigned, "On the count of the three, one…two…three."

Just as they reached three, the path they'd just taken behind them now completely inexistent, they all took a tight hold of the gleaming cup. They felt as though they were being launched into the air, hooked by their navels, as they spun round.

With a large thud, they landed heavily on dark, wet grass.

"Where are we?" Ella asked with a slight shake in her voice. She knew something was wrong…very wrong. She was certain Dumbledore had said that they were to return to the starting point. Why on earth weren't they there and where in Merlin's name where they?

"Sweet," Cedric had stood up and was now striding around various graves, taking it all in with eager fascination and a thirst for adventure. A thirst that six months ago, Ella would have shared. But now all she wanted to do was get back to the safety of her bed where she nor her unborn child could be harmed.

"Harry," She stood up, making her way over to where he was stood in front of a large statue of a cloaked figure, his brow furrowed, and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her crossed arms.

"I've been here before," He told her, not looking away from the statue, "In my dreams. I've been here before," His voice began to sound more frantic.

"What is it?" Ella asked, now becoming even more worried. She knew her brother hand a history of dreaming about Voldermort and the fact that he'd seen this place many a time in his dreams had to be bad news.

"I…I don't know," He sighed. Just as turned to face their friend, who was still ambling around the graves curiously some distance away from them, they heard hushed voices.

"Kill the spare," They heard a harsh, raspy voice say from the dark figures. Before Ella had time to try to comprehend what was happening, a flash of bright green light flew across from where the figure stood and hit Cedric square in the chest. He fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Ella's heart began beating wildly as her stomach churned, threatening to cause her to vomit as the realisation of what had just happened hit.

"Get behind there," Harry pushed his sister urgently behind the large statue, "Don't come out whatever. Please," He warned before returning, wand drawn, back towards where the spell that had hit Cedric came from. "Peter," He snarled venomously as the short, round figure emerged from the shadow, desperately clutching something to his chest as though his life depended on whatever it was. Peter dashed towards Harry, wand pointing at him, causing him to step back hastily after seeing what that particular wand had just done to his friend.

"Ah!" He let out a sharp gasp as the statue suddenly closed around him, trapping him in whilst he struggled relentlessly.

Ella heard the cloaked figure, whom she assumed to be some form of death eater, muttering and chanting incantations in a feeble, wobbly voice.

"Blood from the enemy, unwillingly taken," He muttered, sounding ever more like some sort of mad man. Ella winced and curled up tighter on the ground behind the statue as she heard her younger brother cry out in pain. _You've got to stay put_, she told herself. Think of the baby. She repeated it over and over in her head, urging herself not charge in defence of her brother, revealing herself and her vulnerability. Ella's blood ran ice cold as she heard the mad man chant triumphantly,

"Let the dark lord, return!"

No, he couldn't. He couldn't be back. This was the man that killed her parents and supposedly died trying to kill her brother. He'd lost everything the night he tried to kill Harry and she had no doubt he was hungry for his long awaited revenge. She grimaced as she heard her brother struggle and gasp in the pain of his scar. She grimaced as she heard her brother struggle and gasp in the pain of his scar._ You can't help, you can't move_. There was a civil war taking place inside of her head and it was a complete blood bath. A large part of her wanted to help her brother. It killed her to hear him writhe in pain and pant in fear whilst she just hid like a coward. But then the other, more sensible, side of her brain reminded her how much more vulnerable she was than him and that it was not only her own life she was endangering by running out and exposing herself like a fool. But then Harry, being trapped as he was, was even more vulnerable than her now. She was in conflict with herself and she clamped her hands to her ears like a three year old to try and block the gasps and moans of her brother in pain out, in order to try and make her decision easier.

She listened as she heard Voldemort summon his followers and had to surpass a gasp as he identified Lucius Malfoy to be one. That explained a lot about Draco, she thought.

"Ah, Harry," She heard him sneer, "You were so quiet, I almost forgot you were there. Word has it, you are almost as famous as me these days. But oh, how the lies have fed your legend. How people believe that a little baby could defeat _me, _Lord Voldemort, I do not know. It was old magic, I should have seen it, but the night your mother died, she died to protect you. Because of this, I couldn't touch you, but that's all change. I…" She heard him move closer, "can touch you now," He said with a sickening delight. If it hadn't been in the situation it had been, Ella would have probably taken hours revelling in the various hilarious innuendos that line brought with it. But she couldn't. She felt sick as she listened to her brother, writhe and scream in pain, whilst the evil man began to laugh in sheer joy and pleasure. Something snapped inside of her. Despite every logical fibre of her brain telling her to stay in hiding, that she couldn't fight, she ran out from where she'd been hiding, wand drawn, causing a few gasps of shock to escape from on looking deatheaters. Voldemort, on the other hand, was too caught up in the satisfaction in the pain he was inflicting to notice the new arrival. Her blood boiled and bubbled in her veins and her bloodshot eyes narrowed in anger. She now longer had any control over what she was doing. Her instincts to protect her family had kicked in and she could no longer fight them.

"CRUCIO!" She bellowed with all her might as she sent a jet of scarlet red light hurtling towards the infamous dark wizard. He looked only half human. His skin looked white and scaly, his eyes were black and narrow and he had two slits as nostrils. She couldn't stop herself as the dark lord fell to the floor screeching in pain and humiliation. "Crucio!" She repeat as he writhed and bucked on the floor before composing himself and flicking his wand her the young girl lazy, causing her to stumble and break the concentration, lifting her curse.

"You stupid little girl," He hissed at her as he gave another flick of his wand, sending her tumbling into a grave, where he cornered her against it, wand pressed into the underside of her jaw. "Ah, I don't believe it. It's the famous Miss Elspeth Potter," He spat at her, as she tried to steady the shaking of her body and stare back at him in the eye icily. She couldn't show any sign of weakness, "back again I see. I here there were many speculations and rumours after I killed your parents. Run off to France like a coward then I here?" He said with a dirty chuckle.

"I was two years old, I could hardly decide to uproot and move to a different country, or are you really just enough of an idiot to believe two year olds can do that?" She fired back haughtily.

"Show some respect," He screeched, slapping her clean across her face, leaving a deep gash, never moving his wand from its threatening position. He looked her up and down and his eyes rested on her stomach, "Ah, a slut as well as a coward I see," He laughed a high pitched, shrill laugh, "What is it? Can't say no or just don't want to keep your pants up? Just like your mother that, a filthy, cowardly whore," He spat. The mention of her mother, caused something to snap inside of Ella. She swiftly drew her wand and fired him backwards several feet, yelling,

"Stupify!" She panted hysterically as he lay on the floor. "Don't you EVER talk about my family like that!" She yelled. He let out another high pitched laugh.

"Family! What family? They're all dead apart from him," He pointed his wand over to Harry was struggling desperately against the restraints of the statue, "But don't worry. I'll take care of him too, just after I'm done with you," He gave another flick of his wand but this time Ella was ready for it. She deflected it effortlessly and sent her own back. He too deflected it and so the duel broke out, curses and hexes flying in all directions. Despite her age and 'condition', as everyone kept referring to her pregnancy as, she was a good match for the dark wizard. She was ready for all his moves and quickly calculated those of her own. To her, duelling was much like a physical chess, with only a lot more at stake.

"Give up yet, Tom?" She called over with a bark of laughter as his nostrils flared as best as they could, given their close proximity of his face, due to his slight lack of a nose, in anger at her torments. She took the opportunity and shot a stunning spell straight towards his stomach, realising that his stance in a duel, left his chest and stomach open to curses being thrown at him. He instantly flew back several metres, hitting the floor with a thud. Ella quickly turned on her heel and ran for cover behind one of the larger of the grave stones. However, before she could reach one, he had recovered, letting out a scream of anger and humiliation at being outsmarted by a sixteen year old girl, and sent a curse at her, knocking her to the floor with a sickening thud.

"Ella!" Harry called his sister's name repeatedly in desperation.

"I always win, slut, and don't you forget it," He sneered as he hovered over her body. "Crucio!"He yelled, laughing a shrill cackle as her body began to writhe and spasm in the intense pain running through her veins. It was like nothing she'd felt before. She bit down on her lip, determined not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream out in pain.

"Not enough for you, eh?" He sneered as she continued not to make a sound. With another flick of his wand, the pain stopped for a brief second before she was lifted off of the ground and hurtled into the nearest gravestone, which she hit with a crunch. She felt a sudden shooting pain in her lower abdomen. Just like the one she'd received many times before but this time, much more severe. He shot another lazy flick of his wand at her, causing a deep gash to appear above her eyebrow to match the one on her cheek.

"Your life's over, Potter. Your's and your stupid child's. I've won," He said softly and quietly, causing Ella to shake in fear at the sudden contrast of his tone. "Avarda…" He began. Ella threw an arm up to shield herself, knowing her wand had rolled out of her hand in the fall. This act sent the evil wizard to become disarmed and hurtle back through the air, towards her brother was imprisoned. Her eyelids became heavy as she felt a thick trail of blood run down her face, and she knew in this pain she would put up no fight, so she let her eyes drift close and listened as he got bored of her, thinking he had indeed won, and turned to her brother who, in turn, fought gallantly. Despite the crippling pain she was in, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly proud of her younger brother for not giving into his taunts and made him work equally as hard in a duel as she had.

All of a sudden, the sounds of the grunts and shouts of the duel died down and she heard Harry dash toward where Cedric's body lay mere metres away from her.

"Ella," He called to her desperately, "come on, please! Can you hear me?" She heard the panic in his voice as Voldemort began to stir. With all the strength she could muster, she pushed herself up off the floor as ran as best she could towards Cedric's body, picking up her wand on the way, where her brother was no crouched, gripping it tightly in one hand. The second Ella, too, held onto both brother and the limp, lifeless body of her friend, Harry summoned the cup and they were all hoisted into the air, spinning round and round. Ella didn't know whether it was the sudden motion in combination with the loss of blood, or the agonising pain she was in, but the moment she hit solid ground, she crumpled and was enveloped in black.


	33. The Beginning of the End

**So to make up for the long time it took me to update the last chapter, I've been extra nice and wrote and updated this really quickly for you all :) please let me know what you think and give me pointers on how to improve the story,**

**xoxo- C**

Chapter 39

Fred sat in the stands next to his twin, tensely awaiting the return of his girlfriend. She had been gone much longer than he'd expected and he had begun to drive himself crazy running all the possible worst case scenarios through his mind. He was being ludicrous, he decided after he imagined her being eaten by some form of giant bird.

"Where is she? She was meant to just go in and resign straight away. Krum and Fluer are already back! Where _is _she?" He ranted to more himself than his twin but George tried to reassure him any how.

"I'm sure she's fine, mate. We both know what she's like. She'll be enjoying being out of the hospital wing too much to remember she was meant to come back," He chuckled inwardly as he thought of his forgetful friend.

"I'm not sure. Something's not right, I know it," He stressed. Just as he began to pace, there was a loud cheer as the three remaining students arrived back all at the same time and hit the ground with a thud, holding a large cup. Fred snapped his head up, the relief he had momenterrily felt at their arrival vanishing as he watched his girlfriend fall to the ground, her body lifeless. It was then he noticed Harry sobbing hard over another lifeless form. Cedirc.

"Oh, Merlin," George whispered in disbelief whilst the crowd suddenly turned silent as Harry repeatedly shouted, 'he's dead, he's dead' through bitter sobs. But George didn't get a response. "Freddie?" He glanced over to his twin to find him not in his seat but charging through the hordes of people in the stands, shouting his Ella's name.

"ELLA!" He cried desperately as she still hadn't moved. Professor Dumbledore stepped in his way, in an effort to block the him from the view of the dead body of his fellow student. "Professor, she's not moved. Please...help," He sobbed equally as hard as Harry and, now, Amos Diggory. He couldn't the pain Mr Diggory would be going through but he knew himself that the thought of losing his girlfriend and his unborn child was too much to bare. He didn't know how he would cope if he did.

The professor quickly rushed over to the young girl, still lying unconscious on the floor. He waved his wand, muttering various indistinguishable incantations with no effect. Swiftly, he conjured a stretcher and levitated her onto it before taking off up towards the hospital wing- Fred in tow- after making sure Harry was being seen to by Madeye.

Up at the hospital, the wait was tense. The two headmasters, Professor McGonagall, Fred and George were all made to sit outside of the privacy curtain whilst Madame Pomfrey saw to what she could do.

"Ella, can you hear me?" They heard the nurse ask the patient who, by the sounds of the groans of pain and confusion, was starting to come round.

"Ahhh!" They heard her yell and scream, ever increasingly in volume. "Help me miss! Please," She sobbed between gasps and yells of pain. "I think it's the baby," She sobbed even harder.

Fred's blood ran cold. The baby. His baby. There was something wrong with it. He had known there had been something wrong. His shock quickly turned to livid anger as he clenched his fists, only wanting to hurt whoever had caused this to happen. He needed someone to blame. Someone had to be to blame, didn't they? These things didn't just happen. Not to good people like themselves. Yes, he and his twin had always liked to cause trouble and pull pranks, and they'd even lost their temper at times but they'd never intentionally set out to hurt anyone, neither had Ella, so why was this happening to them?

"Fred?" George asked his twin warely, noticing the colour draining from his face.

"No," He said, "No, no, no. This can't be. It's not,"

"We don't know anything yet," McGonagall put in rationally, although greatly sympathising with the young couple. They were very young to cope with the pregnancy and a child as it was, but all these complications thrown in, it would be enough to break and destroy any adults never mind kids. He did not reply to her. He just started pacing up and down, listening to her screams and yells, wanting to help but knowing there was nothing in the world to be done.

At that moment, Severus Snape skulked through the door and made his way over to Dumbledore.

"What's _he_ doing here," Fred spat at his professor, not caring about the trouble his accusing tone might get him into. "And HIM! What's HE doing here?!" Fred yelled on noticing the Durmstrang headmaster for the first time. He'd been in too much of a world of his own to notice until now. "He spent months harrassing her and abusing her and now he's here? GET OUT!" He screamed.

"Fred, please just calm down," George tried to rationalise his twin despite sharing his annoyance. Why was he there? It was _his _ fault that she was even in back in the hospital in this state, by forcing her to compete when she was in no fit state to. It would have been risky enough for any woman who was six months pregnant, never mind one who was already having complications with her pregnancy.

"I need to go," Dumbledore interrupted urgently, "Minerva, if you would come with me to find Harry please," He said politely but assertively before turning to the other headmaster with an icier tone, "and I do have to ask you to also leave, Igor, as I cannot assign a member of staff to supervise you," And with that all the teachers left, leaving the twins alone, listening to the commtion which was starting to die down behind the curtain.

"I'll owl Mum and Dad about what's happened so they can come down, if you're alright on your own?" George offered.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks, " He smiled, "Oh and please can you let Remus know too. He'll want to come down seen as Sirius can't,"

"No problem," George smiled at his brother. Not his usual mischievous smile, but a softer, more encouraging smile.

~~~~~~~c~~~~~~

Ella yelled out in pain continuously as the mediwitch tried her best to ease her pain and calm her, but all her methods were proving ineffective. She started sobbing heavily as she felt her underwear soaking wet with blood.

"Help, please..." She said through sobs.

"Right, Ella," Madame Pomfrey adressed her with all the calmness she could muster in order not to stress her patient further, "I'm going to have to make you unconcious again and then we're going to get this baby out of you. It's the only thing I can do now, and the quicker I get it done, the better chance the child has of surving," She spoke quickly and briskly through the formalities, "Now, I need you to understand that all operations carry a lot of risk with them. Are you willing for me to go ahead?" Ella nodded quickly.

"Please," She cried out as another surge of pain from her lower abdomen coursed through her body, before everything went black.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

When Ella woke up, it was dark outside. She saw Remus sat in the chair beside her bed, watching her intently.

"How do you feel?" He asked attentively. She didn't know how to answer. She didn't know how she felt. She felt...empty. As she ran her hand over her once hard stomach, she found it was all soft and empty. She just shrugged.

"Quite cra..."She began before letting out a little gasp as she noticed the incubator holding a tiny, little baby on the other side of her bed. "I...i...is that m...my b...baby?" She stammered, shaking at the sight.

"It is," He smiled from ear to ear, "She's beautiful,"

"H...how is she?" She asked, still in shock, not removing her eyes from her little girl as though if she did she would disappear.

"I'll go and get Madame Pomfrey," He said in a weighty, somber tone that worried Ella. There was something wrong otherwise he would have just told her that she was fine. She shook her head, she should know her baby wasn't going to just miraculously be fine after all that pain and all the bleeding. The events of that day flashed through her head like a tornado, leaving distress and mess in their wake.

Ella was soon put out of her misery and suspense when the school nurse bustled through to her from her office, closely followed by Remus, who retook his seat next to her and rested a fatherly hand on her upper arm to soothe her.

"I'm afraid, it's not good news," Madame Pomfrey, who had the firm belief that delivering bad news should be done much in the same manner as removing a plaster, quickly in a hope to make the pain shorter lived, "Your baby is obviously very premature and had a bad delivery, you already losing so much blood prior to the cesarean. We put her in the incubator whilst you were still out but I'm going to be honest, I don't think she's got very long left with us. She's already outliving my expectations being three hours old. If you wish, there would be no harm in holding her," The nurse offered. Ella nodded, her eyes filling with pools of tears that threatened to escape at any moment.

As Ella took her child into her arms for the first time, her heart melted. She had never believed people when they said they fell in love with their babies the second they held them, she'd always thought they were being over dramatic and soppy, but now she held her own child in her arms- her child that was so tiny and fragile- she didn't think she could ever love anything more. The baby stirred slightly from her sleep but seemed to settle the moment she was embraced into the warmth of her mother.

"Like a natural," Remus smiled over her shoulder, awestruck by the minute size of the child. Ella looked up at him with a smile. She really was grateful for him, he was just so kind natured and the closest thing to a father she'd ever had. Sure, she had Sirius as an older male 'role model' but he was more of a big-brother's-best-friend kind of relationship. The kind that sneaked you alcohol and fags under the table when you were fourteen and your mum was in the room, protesting you were too young for any such thing. "She looks just like your mum," He sighed, "and you for that matter, but she has your mum's hair. You couldn't miss it from a mile off," He chuckled fondly at the memory of his late friend.

"It's like Fred's, couldn't miss it if you tried," They both laughed for a bit, reveling in the feeling of letting lose with all the bad news and heinous events of that day surrounding them, until it began to disturb the small sleeping child clutched to Ella's chest.

"She needs a name," Ella said, staring into her daughter's eyes.

"What are you thinking?" Remus asked. "Is Fred getting an input?" He chuckled softly.

"No," She said dismissively, "the poor lad never gets an input on anything, he just agrees," She joked, still staring intently at her daughter, trying to decide what name she would suit. She needed something original, something special, just like her. However, she also wanted her to carry her mother's name seen as she looked so like her. "Mila-Lily," She said resolutely, "She's called Mila-Lily Potter,"

"It's beautiful," Remus agreed, "It really suits her," and it did. She was so small she couldn't even fill the whole distance between the eblow and the palm of the hand. Her soft tufts of baby hair was already a glowing auburn and her eyes a dazzling emerald. At that moment, Fred came slowly into the hospital wing, followed by his twin and his parents, smiling broadly when he saw Ella sat upright and no longer looking in pain but happy.

"Have you named her yet then?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Ella nodded, not being able to contain the smile that spread across her face.

"What's our little girl called?" He asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, placing a protective arm around his girlfriend.

"Mila-Lily,"

"I love it," He said first kissing her on the forehead, then doing the same to his daughter. Despite the euphoria Ella felt as she sat in surrounded by her family, even if they were somewhat odd, mismatched and slightly dysfunctional, she couldn't budge the dread that ran through her blood as Madame Pomfrey's words replayed over and over in her head. She couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that her daughter's breathing was growing ever slower. Of course, both she and her daughter were hooked up to heart monitors which would alert Madame Pomfrey if something was going completely wrong, but she just couldn't help worrying excessively.

"How's Harry? Where is he?" Ella suddenly asked in the realisation she hadn't actually seen her brother since the graveyard.

"He's fine but he's with Dumbledore now, talking about what happened to the three of you," Mrs Weasley answered, peering at the young mother curiously as her face drained of colour at the mention of the day's previous events. No one dared ask, what was itching at them all. All of them, that was, except from George.

"Ella...what did actually happen?" He asked hesitantly, careful not to upset the already tired and stressed girl but still earning himself a reproachful glare from his own mother.

"He's back," She said shortly, not tearing her eyes away from her daughter's delicate face, "Voldemort's back."

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

An hour later, after Fred had held his daughter, George had had a quick cuddle with his niece, as had Harry, and Remus held his, in effect, granddaughter nurturingly, Mila-Lily's breaths began to shorten and her heart monitor began to beep frantically. Madame Pomfrey came dashing to bed, sweeping up the small child and placing her in the raised cot, preforming intricate wand movements and muttering under her breath.

Ella clung to Remus' arm tightly as the ordeal carried on. The rest of the family, including Fred, had gone back off to bed or home. Ella was livid. Where was Fred when she and his daughter needed him most. She needed his support now more than ever as she could tell by the frazzled look on the nurses face that this was most likely the predicted end for her child. Sure enough, after only another minute or so, the manic beeping had stopped and had been replaced with one long, continuous one.

"I'm sorry Elspeth," Madame Pomfrey turned to face her, "There was nothing more I could do. She suffered a great ordeal today, causing her to be premature and she just wasn't ready to fight it on her own. I really am very sorry." Ella could have sworn she saw a tear in the mediwitch's eyes as she turned and left back towards her office. She felt sick. Her baby was gone. She was dead and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. For the first time in her life, Ella found herself unable to cry. She couldn't. The pain she felt was too intense to have any source of outlet. She felt as though a dementor had sucked her soul away from her and she could never be happy, or have any other normal human emotions again.

Soon, Remus fell back asleep at the side of her but Ella couldn't sleep. She didn't feel tired. Her mind was still too awake and swarming with memories and thoughts. All that night she drove herself crazy with 'what-ifs' and 'could-have-beens'. The image of Cedric's lifeless form falling to the ground and the sound of her child's heart grinding to a halt replayed over and over, mercilessly, in her mind.

By the time the sun rose, she'd still hadn't had a minute of sleep. She didn't want to anymore, she was scared of what her dreams would decide to haunt her with. After Remus got up and left for breakfast, all the while Ella prented she was sleeping in order to avoid his words of sympathy, Fred came through, obviously not having heard the news.

"How's my two favourite girls?" He said in such a cheerful voice, it almost made Ella want to vomit, in was in such a contrast to her own current emotions.

"She's dead." She said flatly, her back still to him.

"W...what?" Fred stammered at the news. His heart dropped as he began to comprehend what he had just been told. Sure, Madame Pomfrey had warned him that she didn't think the child would live long, but seeing Ella so happy with her yesterday, having the three of them sat together as a family, feeling the comfort of her warmth in his arms, he allowed himself to believe that she was going to be fine and everything was going to be alright and they could live together as a happy family as he grew old and watched his child grow up. He'd known it had felt too good to be true but now he didn't know what to do.

"You heard me," Ella snapped, suddenly turning on him as he stood gormless and shell shocked at the foot of her bed, "She _died_ and you were no where to be found...right at the time I needed you most!" She yelled, the first lot of tears she'd shed since the decease of her child the previous night.

"I...I...I'm sorry," He stuttered, still not quite sure whether this was all just huge horrible dream.

"Too little, too late," Ella huffed, turning her back to him once more.

"What do you mean?" He asked uncertainly, knowing he was probably going to live to regret it...and he did.

"I mean," She hissed, "is that you knew that happening was a large likehood and when it did I would need all the support I could get, except the father of the baby was no where to be found. He was happily oblivious to the whole thing somewhere on the other side of the castle. We're done, Fred Weasley. I never _ever_ want to see you again," She spat. He stood there dumbstruck, at a loss for what to do. He didn't want to just leave her, but he knew when she was like this there was no talking her round. So, without another word, he turned and left the hospital wing, closing the door behind him.


	34. Greiving

Chapter 40

The rest of the term flew by in a blur of grieving and comforting. Ella was still in the hospital wing, despite recovering remarkably well from the whole ordeal and the operation, she convinced Madame Pomfrey she was better off under her care in an attempt to avoid Fred. She knew, if she were to return to the normal school life, she would be forced to come face to face with him. Of course she knew that come September and she would have to face him but until then she was quite happy to put off the inevitable by asking Madame Pomfrey to accept no visitors other than Angelina and Harry.

One sunny afternoon, a couple of days before the last day of term, Angelina popped into to the wing to see how her best friend was doing.

"Hey, how you feeling?" She asked with a smile. Ella just shrugged, she still hadn't come any where close to getting over the loss of her baby, it tore her in half just thinking about it, but whilst she couldn't be bothered to plaster a false smile on her face, she also didn''t have the energy or patience to talk about what was wrong so she stayed indifferent and shut herself off from everything. It was the easiest way. "Well, why don't you ask if you can be discharged tomorrow so you can come to the annual last day of the year party? I know it seems a bit odd to throw a party while everyone's so sad but it gives people a good distraction. It's going to be wild. You in?"

"No, I don't think so," Ella shrugged.

"Why not?" Her friend questioned, demanding.

"Because I don't want to see anyone, particularly Fred, alright?" She snapped at her friend who was quite taken aback by this sudden outburst. Bloody hell, she couldn't even blame pregnancy hormones for her outbursts now.

"Have you two still not sorted it out?" Angelina asked in disbelief. She couldn't understand why her two best friends were so bloody stubborn all the time. They obviously still loved each other and were perfect for each other, despite their frequent arguments, yet they couldn't see past their own stubbornness to admit that either one of them was in the wrong.

"No and I don't intend to. He wasn't there when I..._we_...needed him the most, now can we drop it please?" She said testily. Angelina nodded and changed the subject to gossip over who was shagging who in their school. The conversation, completely opposite to their usual ones, was uneasy and awkward, neither knowing quite what to say to the other. After about another ten minutes, Angelina muttered some crap about having homework, despite the fact that there was only one day left of lesson and not even Hogwarts' teachers were cruel enough to hand out homework that late in the term, and hurried back off the the common room.

Ella's next visitor of the day was Dumbledore. She hadn't seen him since the night of the graveyard. She knew from what Harry had told her that their supposed Defense against the Dark Arts teacher actually turned out to be none other than Barty Crouch Jr, a known death eater and one that Harry claimed to see in his dreams, discussing plans to both revive his master and kill Harry with Voldemort himself, before that fateful night in the graveyard where not only _did_ Voldemort gain strength again but he had every intention both her brother and, once he'd discovered her existence, Ella as well. This thought scared her more than anything. The fact that Harry had actually been able to dream something that happened, meant that he and Voldemort's brains must be in some way connected. How or why, she didn't have the slightest clue but it chilled her to the bone knowing that her brother could have a deeper connection with such evil other than the fact he killed their parents. _  
_

"Evening Miss Potter," The headmaster greeted kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Been better," She laughed a bitter, cold laugh. There was no emotion there, just a noise; empty and hollow.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, to lose ones child is a pain unmatchable," He said thoughtfully before carrying on, "I do, however, need to ask you a few questions about that night if it is okay?" Ella nodded stiffly. "Where about did that portkey take you?"

"Has Harry not told you?" She snapped irritably. She knew she had to help him by providing him any new information but this was all stuff her brother had covered days ago. Why did he need her to repeat them? Did he not know the stabbing pain in the chest she felt every time she thought of that night? How could he? Whilst he was an undoubtedly a great wizard, he'd never had any children. He didn't know the instant love you have for them.

"He has but we do need your confirmation on a few things,"

"Even worse," She scoffed, "you just don't trust him,"

"It's not me, Miss Potter, members of the ministry don't want to believe that Lord Voldemort is back and at the minute they're getting away with denying it as they only have _one_ account of that night," The wise headmaster urged.

"Well Harry can tell you what happened with me, I don't want to talk about it," She said flatly.

"Elspeth," He started.

"No, just leave please," She sighed resolutely. At first she had thought she could do it, she could talk about that night but she couldn't.

"I understand it must be hard..." He once again tried to persuade her to give her statement to the ministry before he was interrupted.

"No," She snapped venomously, "You don't understand. There's no way you could _ever_ understand now please leave." The headmaster stood up to leave, nodding his in farewell, resigning knowing that if she was half as stubborn as either of her parents that there would be no sawing her for a good while.

After he left, Ella gripped her head in her hands despairingly in disbelief of how rudely she'd just spoken to such a wise kind wizard but then again he wasn't relenting and him saying that he understood just seemed to tip her over the edge. How could he even start to try to understand? How could any of her friends understand? None of them could ever have felt anything close to the hollow emptiness she felt in her chest that made her mouth permanently dry and reucurring waves of nausea flooding over her, the pain so great that she could no longer cry or feel any emotion other than loneliness. As Ella lay in the hospital bed, all she wanted was to hold her little girl in her arms again; to watch her grow; to watch her lose her first teeth; to wave her off for the first time as the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the station and exactly 11 o'clock. But that could never happen. No amount of wishing could ever bring her child back and Ella had to live with that.

~~~~~~c~~~~~~

The last day of term came and Ella had been let out, rather forced out, of the hospital wing the night before the train home. Celebration parties had been thrown and cleaned up by now and most of Gryffindor tower's inhabitants were now packing and spending their final night with their friends. Ella reluctantly made her way up the girls' dormitory stairs and into the room she shared with Angelina, Katie and Alicia. She peeped her head around the door to see the three girls sat around Katie's bed, talking and giggling animatedly.

"Ella!" Katie squealed, running at her friend and enveloping her in a large hug. "I've been so worried about you," She exclaimed.

"Looks like it," Ella mumbled sarcastically under breath. Although Katie nor Alicia heard her comment, Angelina did and shot Ella a repraochful look. She got that her best friend was going through a hard time but this snidey, snappy girl she'd turned into wasn't her. She used to fun, happy, loyal and certainly not the type to turn on everyone she loved as she seemed to be doing. It was like she was about ready to hit the self destruct button and there was nothing no one could do or say to make her feel less inclined to do so.

Nodding half heartedly at her other roommates, in greeting, Ella moved over to her bed and began packing her case. Whilst doing so she began searching frantically through her case. It had been there when she'd moved into the hospital wing. Hell, it had been there since she'd gotten pregnant. It had to be there...unless someone had stolen it. Bloody brilliant, she didn't even know if she trusted her friends yet? Was everyone determined to turn against her? She shook her head, she was being stupid again, but she couldn't shake the loneliness that throbbed in her chest.

"Finally," She breathed to herself as she lay her hands on a nearly full half litre bottle of vodka. Slipping it into the inside pocket of her robes, Ella ducked out of the bedroom, where the other three girls were now finalising their packing, and into the bathroom they shared. Locking the door behind her, and turning the taps on to drown out any noise she opened the bottle hungrily and swigged it down as though it was water and she'd been stuck in a desert for days. She just wanted the pain to stop. She wanted to nothing and nothing did that better than alcohol. As the alcohol begun to hit her, she let out the first sob since her daughter's death a few days ago. Once they started, the tears flowed like a river gushing down a hillside. Sprawled across the centre of the bathroom floor, she sobbed until her supply of tears had dried out and she no longer had the energy to do so. The room was spinning and she felt sufficiently when there was a knock at the bathroom door.

"Ella, you alright in there?" Katie called in. Ella stood shakily and flung the door open.

"Brilliant," She sneered sarcastically before flouncing over to her bed, tripping over a pair of shoes on the way.

"Are you _drunk_?" Angelina asked incredulously as she stared at her best friend swaying where she sat on her bed. She had no idea she was getting this bad. If she had gotten herself in this state within hours of being taken from under Madame Pomfrey's watchful eye, then why kind of state would she get herself in over the summer period, when she had no ties or commitments to keep her seeing sense and grounded.

"So what if I am?" Ella laughed wildly. "Come on, it's last day of term. Let your hair down and have some fun," She started prancing around her bed ridiculously, tripping and falling over various strewn objects.

"Go get the twins," Angelina whispered to Alicia whilst she and Katie tried to seat their drunken friend in order to limit the damage she may cause to herself or the room.

"But how will they get up here?" Alicia asked, shocked at the idea of boys coming into the girls' dormitory. The staircase up to their dorms was charmed by the founders so that if a boy stepped foot on it, it would transform into a slide, sending them falling into a heap.

"Please 'Licia, they can just get on their brooms," Angelina scolded exasperatedly as she ran to try and help Katie wrestle the half full vodka bottle off of Ella whilst she kept taking more swigs.

By the time Fred and George came dashing in, throwing their broomsticks aside the moment they crossed over the threshold of the girls' room, Ella was trying to fight Katie and Angelina off of her still gripping the vodka bottle fiercely.

"What the fuck is HE doing here?" Ella yelled, wildly swinging her hand, which had the bottle clamped in it, in the direction of Fred who had now gone as white as a sheet with the shock and fear of being urgently called to his girl...sorry...ex girlfriend's room.

"I'm _here," _Fred said back with an equal firmness, "to stop _you_ killing yourself or someone else in the process and if McGonagall catches you, you'll be for it,"

"Give it a rest, will you!" She snapped back. "You don't actually really give a shit about me, do you? So what if I accidentally kill myself or get caught, what would it matter to you? Besides, since when do the teachers roam the dorms?" she laughed a flase, bitter laugh. "On second thought," She added, "Fetch her up here, she might be more fun than you lot," Ella spat at all her friends as stormed across the room, attempting to push past the twins to get out.

"Oh no, you don't," George gripped one of her arms whilst his twin grabbed a hold of the other, "You're not going anywhere in this state,"

"Get off me!" She yelled, desperately trying to free herself from the boys' grips.

"And while we've got you," Fred added.

"We'll have this," George finished for his twin as plucked the vodka bottle out of her hand. Her face contorted with fury and rage, Ella shook off their grips looking the pair sternly in the eyes, locking gazes with Fred for longer.

"You have _no _right," She hissed under her breath, so as only the three of them could hear, although it was directed at Fred.

"I have every right, I care about you," He insisted, also under his breath, as he took her upper arm in his large hand and tried to lead her to the bathroom so as they could talk more privately.

"No," She cut him off, "No you don't! You may not see much point in mourning for our daughter but this is how I'm doing mine," She pushed him away from her, sending her already unsteady self crashing into the door frame of the bathroom with a thud.

"Ella! Are you alri..." Fred was in the middle of asking, whilst the other three girls and George stood staring dumbly and helplessly at the spectacle unravel before them, when the druken girl ran to the toilet, throwing herself to the ground beside it before retching up the little food she had inside of her. "Shh, it's alright," Fred whispered as he moved to rub her back soothingly.

" .me." She swung her head around to snarl at him before returning to vomit once more. Reluctantly, Fred moved away from her, a sad, downtrodden look in his eye. Angelina swooped in his place, speaking soothing words and rubbing her back whilst she continued to retch up, until she had nothing left inside of her.

"Let's get you to bed," Angelina spoke softly, signalling the boys to leave silently, in an attempt to keep her weepy, drunk friend as calm as possible.

"I can get there myself," Ella slurred, pushing Angelina off of her a little too roughly as staggered over to her bed where she pulled the curtains shut and flopped on her bed.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"What's wrong, Freddie?" George asked his twin as they undressed, after arriving back from their excursion to the girls' dormitory.

"She really doesn't want to see me, does she?" He said in despair.

"Give her space, she might come round. She's just grieving," George offered.

"She was my daughter too, am I not allowed to grieve?" he asked sullenly.

"Yes, of course you are but she was actually there when it happened. Plus we don't know what happened to her that night, she could have easily seen one of her friends die,"

"That's just it though! She was there and I wasn't! I should have never taken Mum's advise an gone, I should have stayed. Now she thinks I don't even care," Fred declared, looking close to breaking point.

"Why don't we get some rest and I'll talk to her in the morning, see if I can talk her round a bit?" George offered but Fred was already in bed, with his hangings drawn. This why being the bachelors of Hogwarts was much more preferable in George's mind. There was no commitment, no upset- not from them anyway- and no drama. Oh, how he longed for no drama but after all, they were at Hogwarts and Hogwarts just wasn't Hogwarts if there was no drama. It saddened him how much older both Fred and Ella seemed now compared to the beginning of the year. This whole ordeal had made them grow old before their time, particularly for Ella. He thought of how long it had been since he'd seen her face soft, laughing without a care as she had when they'd first met, and how long it might be until he saw that again, if ever.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The next morning, when Ella awoke, her head was still fuzzy and spinning, the events of last night blurred in her mind. Unsteadily, she rose out of bed, repacked all her belongings with a lazy flick of her wand and made her way down to breakfast, despite feeling like eating was the last thing she wanted to do. On her way, she tripped down the stairs, clutching to the banister desperately to steady herself.

"Wow, steady," Harry ran to catch up with her, putting a supportive arm around her waist to steady her, "Are you alright? I heard about last night,"

"Fine," She grumbled, clutching a hand to her head whilst the room carried on spinning, "Just still a little drunk," She admitted.

"Come on, let's get some food in you before McGonagall sees you like this," He gave a weak laugh at the thought of their head of house's face when she discovered one of her students was coming to breakfast half cut.

"Harry," Ella stopped walking as they reached the bottom of the stairs, turning to face her brother, "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you through all this," she looked at her feet, ashamed of how selfish she'd been over the past week. She hadn't so much as seen her brother, let alone try to support him. After, _yes_ she had lost her baby, and _yes _it still killed her inside to the point all she wanted was for the pain to go away, but she wasn't the only one who saw Cedric Digory's lifeless body crumple to the ground with a sickening thud. The scene haunted her in her dreams, but it must haunt him too. She was meant to be his older sister, the one to take care of him, yet so far, it had been him taking care of her.

"Don't you dare try to use that to make yourself feel bad," He replied light heartedly, his tone still very much serious though, "You've had to deal with a lot more than me and you're not _that_ much older so just shut up and let's go have breakfast,"

"You know what, I'm not really hungry, but I'll see you on the train," Ella said distractedly, the thought of food turning her stomach, and without giving him chance to object, Ella sprinted back up to her dormitory, which she hoped would now be empty.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

The train journey seemed to take forever. Ella shut herself off in an empty compartment and used a concealment charm so as none of her friends could find hre. She wasn't in the mood to chat or even be in their company. She didn't have the energy to pretend that she wasn't dying on the inside. She didn't even have the energy to cry anymore. She just felt empty and hollow, her chest physically hurting for her loss.

When the train finally pulled into Kings Cross Station, Ella swiftly battled out of the train before any of her friends could see her, grabbed her trunk and headed for the Leaky Couldren. With all that had gone on, Remus and Sirius had forgotten to actually arrange for her to spend the summer at Grimmauld Place but now she was glad of it. Glad that she could spend the next six weeks wallowing in her sorrows and drinking herself into stupors as often as she pleased and no one could tell her not to. Once she'd arrived, she dumped her trunks in her her, freshened herself up a bit , not having had a shower since spewing her guts out the night before, and changed out of her school uniform before headed straight for the bar. She didn't care if it was the middle of the afternoon, she needed a stiff drink. Her head still spun every time she closed her eyes, and every smell of food knocked her sick.

"What can I get you miss?" The middle aged bar tender asked with a cheery smile.

"Double Firewhisky" She said, slamming her money down on the table.

"I recognise you," He said thoughtfully, "Are you sure you're old enough to be served?" Dam Rita Skeeta and her trashy articles. If she didn't get served there, there way plenty of other, muggle, places she could go that would have never seen her face or heard her name before.

"Yes, I'm old enough," She snapped irritably, "You'll have seen me in the papers because I was just in the triwizard tournament and therefore must be over age," She lied without batting an eyelid, hoping the bartender hadn't paid too much attention to the articles which stated she was only fourteen, depsite her actually being fifteen. The bartender just shrugged and handed her, her drink.

After swiftly polishing off that drink, she ordered another, and another, and another, downing them all within a matter of gulps, relishing in the burning sensation down the back of her throat as it went down, she heard a familiar smug voice behind her.

"Bit early in the day to be drinking, isn't it Potter?" The platinum blonde haired boy drawled as he joined her at the bar.

"It's seven o'clock by my watch, plenty late enough," She snapped irritably. "Anyway, what business is it of yours?" Bloody brilliant, she'd stayed here hoping to get some peace and bloody quiet and that Slytherin bastard turns up, just what she needed.

"You know how people talk," He drawled lazily, "Get seen drinking here too early and often, people'll start to think you've got a problem,"

"Shut it Malfoy, I'm not in the mood for your petty games,"

"Ahh, but who says I'm playing games? As far as I am aware I'm just staying here for a few weeks, while my parents are in France, and now I'm downstairs I may as well have a drink seeing as you've had a head start. So, what will it be?" He asked smugly. Ella glared at him before downing the rest of her drink and replying.

"Double Firewhisky then please," She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to turn around and not get her one. However, Draco turned to the barman and ordered two double firewhiskys and handed one to Ella. "Think you can out drink me, Malfoy?" She challenged him.

"I know I can, Potter,"

"Bring it on, first one to throw up buys the first round tomorrow,"


	35. Keep your enemies closer

"Shit," Ella murmured as she sat up in her bed, clutching her head. She cursed and swore loudly as she got to her feet and went to answer the thundering bangs at the door. "Coming!" She yelled irritably. She wasn't keen on mornings at the best of times, but with an almighty hangover added on top of that, she was practically a fire breathing Hungarian Horntail. "What is it?" She spat as she flung the door open. Her scowl only grew when she saw the Slytherin stood at her door with an evil smirk.

"Ah, Potter, what a lovely day it is," He said in a false cheeriness to wind her up further, pushing past her, into her room, causing her to scowl even more, if it was even possible, "Don't worry, I come baring gifts"

"It's too early, fuck off," She grumbled.

"It's past lunchtime," He gave a cold, mocking laugh that infuriated her further.

"I don't feel like eating," She huffed, slamming the door shut and throwing herself on the bed in the centre of the room.

"I wasn't talking about food," He drawled, "That doesn't cure a hangover. This," He said, pulling a small vodka bottle out of the brown paper bag he was carrying, "however, does." He gave a triumphant smile as Ella's eyes widened.

"Pass," She said shortly, taking the bottle from him and taking a large swig, "much better," She sighed as it left the foul taste in her mouth. The ridiculous amount of alcohol she'd consumed since arriving back from school the week previously, had given her, her first nights' sleep she'd had in a long while. "What time is it?" she asked staring at the bottle before taking another large swig. Each night so far, her and Draco had played their same ridiculous game of seeing who could the longest, normally resulting in Ella throwing up in the toilet due to her current reluctance to eat.

"Half three," He shrugged.

"WHAT?!" She coughed and spluttered. "How in Merlin's name have I slept _that_ long?" She asked incredulously.

"Don't ask me," He shrugged dismissively as he turned to leave the room, "Meet you downstairs at six o'clock and remember first round's on you," He said with that satisfied smirk of his that made Ella want to slap him, just as she was beginning to think he was maybe alright.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella spent the next two and a half hours, after finishing off the bottle of vodka, sufficiently numbing her once more, roaming around Diagon alley. She'd never really been down the street before in her memory, so when she passed the Magical Menagerie, selling all sort of various pets and supplies, she couldn't resist not going in. She'd always found comfort and stability in animals and that's just what she needed now. They didn't care whether you were a horrible person, as long as you looked after them and gave them love, they'd give love back to you.

Inside the shop, a little black with four white socks, a bright pink nose and shiny gleaming eyes caught her eye immediately. The alcohol still in her bloodstream stopping her from thinking it through, she bought him along with a small bed, a cage and some food.

"What's his name?" Ella asked the shop woman as she magically shrunk her purchases and held the playful, squirming cat under her arm.

"He doesn't have one yet, you chose," the woman shrugged, clearly not able to give a toss about what the bleeding cat was called, she had far too many of them to care.

"Poor fella," Ella cooed as she tickled the cat's chin, "Well, I think you should be called Boots." She waved and thanked the woman as she left the shop, shrinking her purchases, bar the kitten, -one of the main advantages to have moved around countries so much being having no underage trace on you- and headed back for the Leaky Cauldron, where she was due to meet Malfoy in thirty minutes. What was she doing meeting up with _Malfoy_? He was a slimy arse hole with far too high an opinion of himself. Yet, he was actually good company when it came to drowning her sorrows and was quite generous in buying the rounds in.

On her way back to the pub, a sign in a window of a hairdressers caught Ella's eye. It read 'Change your look, change your life'. She knew it was a complete cliche and marketing devise but it got her thinking. She was bored of her natural brown, bosom length hair. Nothing good had ever really happened to her. So far everything had turned out in misery and heartbreak. She was sick of old, push over Ella who let people take her walls down just so they could get a shot at her. She was sick of looking at herself in the mirror, knowing that if she had stayed behind that statue as her brother had told her, she could be cradling her daughter in her arms right now. But she wasn't, so the hair was getting changed.

"Hello miss, what can we do for you today?" A plump, dyed red haired young woman asked her politely.

"I want something doing with my hair, something...different," Ella said vaguely.

"Anything in mind?" The hairdresser asked.

"Not really, just completely different from what it is now," Ella shrugged, slightly taken aback about how blase she was being about her former prize possess,"

"No problem," The hairdresser beemed.

Half an hour later, Ella stepped out of the hairdressers with short honey blonde hair, falling around her face in beach waves and a thick fringe covering her eyebrows. She didn't know what to think of it. She didn't really care, she was just glad for different.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Potter, you're late," Draco drawled as he heard the girl approach behind him as she greeted the bar tender sullenly.

"Shove it, Malfoy," She sneered, letting out a bitter laugh as he turned to face her and looked very confused indeed.

"What happened to your hair?" He asked dumbly.

"Got it cut and dyed, got a problem?" She asked sourly.

"No, actually it looks quite alright for a Gryffindor's hairstyle,"

"A Gryffindor's hairstyle?" Ella scoffed. "I didn't realise each house now had a designated hair style. So, what is Slytherin's? Going on yours and Snapes, greasy and gelled firmly back?"She mocked.

"So the first time I'm not mean to you, you insult me? You're a weird chick Potter," He said in his lazy drawl, with a hint of amusement to his tone. Ella just glared at him before turning to the bartender.

"Two double firewhiskys please," She grabbed the two drinks, shoving one of the at Malfoy, before downing her own in two large gulps. "Your round next," She smirked a smirk much like his infamous one.

"Steady on, I've barely had chance to sniff mine yet," He laughed derisively.

"Urgh, hurry up," She groaned.

"Have you ever heard of not just drinking to get wasted?" He mocked.

"Yes but it's shit and pointless," She answered shortly as Malfoy ordered the next lot of drinks, "Who wants a conversation over drinks?"

"Me," He said with a wicked, cunning smirk, "So, Potter, are the rumours true? Were you sleeping with Karkaroff?"

"You're insufferable," She stated before explaining, "Not that it's any of your business whatsoever, but sort of yes,"

"Sort of? How does that work?" Malfoy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long story," She shrugged, not caring to go over it again, knowing full well it was only matter of days until she would have to repeat her story in court.

"I've got time," Malfoy said stubbornly, his voice cool and laid back

"Well, I used to go to Beauxbatons until the beginning of my 4th year when I ran away. I spent the year on the run, moving around to try and find work and working out various means of getting money. Long story short, after seeing me on the streets for the second time in six months, Igor took me in, enrolled me in Durmstrang and provided somewhere for me to stay, my clothes and my food," She paused realising this side of Igor was a side she hadn't thought about for a long time, but that didn't matter now, in her mind, he is one of the main reasons why her baby is dead and she hated him, "I _was_ very grateful to him for everything he'd done and then one night in the middle of summer, he suggested a way in which I pay him back, if you know what I mean. It turned into a bit more than just a one night thing but when I tried to stop it in September, with him being my teacher then and being at Hogwarts, he got a little...hmm...well, annoyed and one day I pushed him a bit too far and I ended up in the hospital wing," Ella shrugged indifferently, the high level of alcohol in her bloodstream making her much more open about everything, with Malfoy not far behind.

"Fucking hell," He whistled, "and I always just thought you were some sort of Durmstrang bike," Ella gave a low chuckle.

"Sorry to disappoint, but no," She shook her head.

"What did you do for money while you were on the streets?" He asked and all of a sudden Ella saw him without his sly, cruel exterior that always made mocking jokes and derisive comments and just saw a boy, a normal boy, who was genuinely interested in what someone had to say. However, this question meant it was her turn to squirm slightly under his gaze.

"Well, little bits of odd jobs here and there. A month or two in a bar here and a stint in a pub there, and just little bits and pieces," She shrugged, hoping he had bought how vague she'd been.

"Like what?" He challenged, reveling in making her squirm.

"You know," Ella said shortly, getting irritable as she downed yet another drink, the alcohol further to her head as the room before started spinning and her limbs became satisfyingly numb.

"No," He replied equally as short, "I don't." Ella frowned realising she had met her match and he had platinum blonde hair and wore green serpent on his school uniform.

"Fine if you _must_ know I dabbled in certain industries like drugs," She gave up.

"Not bad, I must say I'm impressed. I didn't know you had it in you. What other _'industries'_ of that nature have you dabbled in?" He asked, one of his eyebrows shooting up his head.

"That's enough," Ella hissed before softening her tone marginally once again, "Now your turn. Why are you here?" She asked before adding, "Apart from the whole Mummy and Daddy left the country.

"Well precisely that, my mother and father are out of the country for the first half of summer," He shrugged dismissively, not counting on the grilling he was about to receive from the feisty girl he was sat with.

"Well why aren't you joining them?" She asked, it now being her turn to raise an eyebrow and smirk questioningly as he squirmed under her interrogation.

"It's a business trip," He said shortly.

"What? That they both have to go on? What sort of business?"

"Shut it, Potter," He said now close to a snarl, "I _don't _know,"

"Ah, but I think you do," She said sweetly, "I spilled my dirty little secrets, now it's your turn Draco darling," She smiled wickedly. The alcohol brought out another, much nastier side to her, and she was enjoying it far too much. Playing nice all the time really got boring.

"You know exactly what kind of _business_ they're on just as I do, even though neither one of us has been directly told. If I'm right- which I always am-" He added arrogantly, I mean, Rome wasn't built in a day and all that, "we both think they've joined Voldemort's followers even though I already told mother she shouldn't. It's too dangerous, but yes, I think that certainly father has," He said with a defeated sigh.

"I'm sorry but you're right, he is," Ella sighed, ordering another round.

"H...how do you know?" Draco stammered, taken aback by this revelation. Although he'd always guessed and assumed his father was a deatheater, the little boy inside of him clung to the hope that because he'd never had any confirmation of it, it might not true.

"I saw him, your dad that is, on the night that Voldemort," She ducked her head close to his and whispered his name so as not to alarm any of the other drinkers, "returned,"

"So it's true," Draco sighed, "He's back and my father is once again one of his followers,"

"Sorry," Ella offered, realising what a huge bomb shell she'd just landed on the boy. He knocked back his drink before replying.

"I think I might turn in," He shrugged, standing from his bar stool.

"Oh no you don't," Ella tugged at his arm, making him sit here, "It's only 7 o'clock, no way are you bailing on me. We're going to upstairs to our rooms, get showered, dressed up and head out to a muggle night club," She told him, no question in the slightest in her voice. He wrinkled his face in disgust, "Get over your blood purity, superiority crap; you're coming out," She said flatly as she downed the rest of her drink and started up the stairs. As they seperated to their different rooms, she turned to him with a quick, joking wink, "Pick me up in an hour," She then turned and headed back to her room to get ready.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Sure enough, at eight o'clock, there way a knock at Ella's door and she opened it to reveal the Slytherin boy dressed in smart dark jeans, a washed out, crisp mint green shirt and a black blazer. She, herself, was dressed in a short black, off the shoulder dress, paired with a pair of black stilettos, showcasing her legs that went on for miles and perky D cup breasts. With her new hair, and contrast to her baggy maternity clothing that everyone had gotten used to seeing her in, she would have looked like a completely different person if it wasn't for her dazzling emerald eyes that gave her away instantly.

"You clean up well, Potter," He smirked as he drunkenly leaned against the door frame, eyeing her outfit appreciatively. "Never realised what a lucky lad Weasle was," He smirked.

"You're a pig," She said pushing past him into the hallway,"and he's not, that's all over and done with," She said matter-of-factually, despite every time she, soberly, thought of Fred and how they were no longer together her chest would pang for him. She would long for his touch and the feeling of his lips working magic as theirs melted together as though they belonged there. She shook her head, he had been unforgivable and they'd fought so much, they'd broken up every other week, that it obviously wasn't worth fighting for.

"Oh, I thought I smelt trouble in paradise," He grinned slyly.

"Shut up and come on," She glared at him as they entered the underground station.

Within ten minutes they were queuing, waiting for a hip looking muggle club, that was heaving, to open. After waiting for what felt like an age in the humid British summer night, the club opened and the crowds flooded in, IDs, fake or real, at the ready.

"Got your ID?" Ella asked, suddenly realising that, as a pureblood from an extremist family, he might not know about the muggle world's strict security on these things.

"I'm not an idiot, I am a lad and all lads need a good shag every now and then and girls from our school will either want a full blown relationship, which really isn't my scene, or my parents wouldn't approve of them and my rep would be in tatters. Just imagine what people would say if they saw me with that mudblood Granger," He sneered.

"Oi, watch it. She is my brother's best friend and a lovely girl," Ella said in a warning.

"Lovely if you're into the buckteeth and frizzy hair," He said under his breath, but due to his bad luck and terrible whispering, Ella heard him.

"You only don't like her 'cause she slapped you in your third year in front of shit loads of people," She said truthfully, fondly remembering the time when her brother and his best friends had taken ages to tell her that story through their tears of laughter. That was one of the many brilliant things about alcohol, in Ella's opinion, not only did it allow you to feel completely numb and stopped you from thinking about things you really didn't want to, it also gave you the confidence and little inhibitions to just say whatever comes to your mind, no matter how harsh or brutally truthful.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

Once they were inside, they stood by the bar, drinks in hand, talking and gossiping and Draco's little black book of Hogwarts' girls he'd had sex with. Everyone thought of Fred and George as the players of Hogwarts but it turned out that Draco was giving them a run for their money but in a much more secretive and subtle way.

"No way do you actually have a list of who you've shagged in a book," Ella laughed incredulously, "I never had you down as one of those," She laughed.

"So tell, what did you have me down as?" He asked with a smirk.

"A rich boy who enjoyed the high life which his parents' money bought. Girls on call that charge an hourly rate, unlimited supply of the drug of your choice and a never ending liquor cupboard," She half asked.

"Have you had much experience with these types of boys then?" He asked slyly.

"Far too much," She said, quickly covering her mouth as she realised what she'd said.

"And how did you know all these boys?" He asked amused at her squirming. Second time that night he'd had her under his thumb and he loved it.

"None of your business," She shot. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, a tall, handsome dark haired man came over to them, not taking his dark hazle eyes of Ella.

"Hey, I was just wondering whether you'd want to dance?" He asked Ella, completely ignoring the fact she was stood with another lad.

"Err...sur-" She was just about to agree.

"She would love to but I'm afraid she's already promised this dance to me," Draco sneered, finishing his drink and taking Ella's arm, swiftly leading her into the crowd, not forgetting to send a victorious smirk over to the tall, handsome stranger, which didn't go unnoticed by a completely confused Ella.

"What was that?" She laughed, tripping over as they began to dance, causing her to fall into Draco's arms.

"You think I'm going to let you dance with some stanger and watch you get taken away in an ambulance when he spikes the drink he buys you?" He raised his eyebrow.

"You always think the worst of people," She laughed bitterly. Although she was feeling the closest to normal she thought she'd ever feel again after everything that happened, she couldn't help but think of all the things she'd lost recently. It always played on her mind, every corner she turned she saw her daughter's face as she slowly slipped away from her.

"I do, and that's why I've never been hurt by anyone," He said, surprisingly wisely. The more she thought about it, the more he had a good point. Almost everyone she'd ever loved or trusted had, in turn, had turned on her, killing her emotionally in the process. She'd always liked to see the best in people and all that had done was lead to where she was now, drinking day and night, never allowing herself to be sober enough to feel the pain caring about others had caused her.

They danced, their bodies moving closely together, the proximity of someone who had previously been such an enemy would have given Ella goosebumps, had she not been so past the point of caring about anything. One danced quickly turned to ten and before they knew it, it was three o'clock and closing time was upon them.

Snaking an arm around her waist, Draco led an increasingly unsteady Ella of the club and through the crowds of the tube stations. Neither of the pair said a word until they reached the stairwell of the Leaky Couldren.

"I actually had quite a good time tonight," Ella laughed as she tripped over her own feet, causing Draco to catch her for what must have been the hundredth time that night. Granted, she could hold her drink quite well, she just really struggled to stay upright after a few drinks.

"Me too," He smirked as he yet again had to catch as she fell sideways into the wall of the thin, dingey corridor, and reolved to just not take his arms from around her this time and support her whilst she walked,"Fancy coming back to my room for a few more drinks?"

"You're a bad influence on me, you know that?" Ella slurred with a cackle of laughter. He also laughed for a reason he couldn't really pinpoint. He hadn't had so much fun getting off of his face in a long while, even if it was with the last person he would expect.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"I bet you're the type of girl that keeps a little black book," Draco brought back their earlier conversation topic as he sat in the wobbly desk chair in his hotel room and Ella sat cross legged on the desk in front of him.

"Got me spot on there," She admitted with a laugh. She hadn't ever told anyone of her little book, not even Fred or Angelina. Over the past school year, there hadn't really been much to add other than Fred. Aside from Igor, which had started in the summer holidays, Fred was the only lad she'd had sex with that year and that was different. She'd loved him, she still did. His touch ignited her skin and their sex was different...as cliche as it sounded...it was magical.

"So who would I know in there?" He asked cunningly, propping his head up on his arm which was resting on the arm of his chair, in an attempt to stop the room from spinning so vigorously.

"Well there's Fred, Igor- you know about them," She closed her eyes as she thought hard to who he might know, "erm...do you know Antonin Dolohov? Oh, and Amycus Carrow?" She asked excitedly, not realising quite what she had just admitted to or, if Draco had been soberer, how close she was to unveiling something that only Igor Karkaroff knew about her.

"Dolohov and Carrow?!" He scoffed, laughing so hard that tears nearly came to his eyes.

"Yes," She said shortly, "Got a problem with that?" She asked pissed off.

"They're the same age as my Dad!" He mocked.

"Yeah, well that summer I stayed at Igor's I just went through a bit of an older man phase," She shrugged. Techincally she wasn't lying, she just wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something from me?" The Slytherin asked suspiciously.

"Because I am," She said all too happily.

"I thought we were doing to whole complete honesty thing," He tried to get it out of her.

"Good try," She laughed, spilling her drink all over Draco in the process, "Oh my God, let me help you with that," She said jumping up, unsteadily swaying, to help the boy where he was patting down his crotch pretty uselessly. "here," She offered, running to the bathroom and returning with a hand towel and began pressing down on his crotch.

"Potter," She felt him stiffen awkwardly in front of her and smiled slyly as she realised the effect she was having on him. "Why are you smiling?" He asked paranoid .

"Oh, I was just thinking," She paused, seeing how far she could push him until he said something and sent her back to her own room, "that your trousers would dry a lot quicker over the radiator," She smirked, the two of them apparently forgetting they possessed any form of magical powers. Draco's shot up his forehead, obviously calculating, much slower than normal, whether she was joking or not. "Something wrong?" She asked sweetly, feigning innocence.

"Go on then," He motioned towards his firewhisky sodden trouser, taking up her earlier offer, seeing if two could play at this game. He was not going to be the one to back down, but unfortunately for him, she was the queen and unbeaten champion at this game.

Without any hesitation, Ella closed the distance between them, squatting down seductively, undoing his belt and letting his trousers slide down his legs, keeping her mouth tantilisingly close to her boxers, so as he could feel her hot breath. Slowly, she stood up, being careful to keep the little distance between them to see how he would react. She looked at him directly, eyes wide, biting her lip.

Before she knew what was happening, his lips were crashing clumsily onto hers and she was being pushed backwards towards his hotel bed. Although this had started out as a game for her, she didn't care that it was going further than she'd planned. It was a good distraction and it would feel good to be able to rid her last connection- or so she was telling herself- with Fred. Soon her clothes were in a pile on the floor, next to his and their naked bodies were pressed against each other's, as they lay making out of the bed. A short while after, they were lying in a tangle of limbs, panting to catch their breaths. He hadn't been bad, but there was no fire like she had with Fred. No burning passion, not for her anyway. It had just been sex and it served its purpose of being a good distraction. There could be a lot worse things that she was using a distraction, it was just harmless sex. But was sex ever just harmless?


	36. Professor, am I different?

**Hi, I'm trying to get as many chapters out as possible before I go back to school so expect quite a few updates in the next week or two. I would like to say a big thanks to Araytigre for all the consistent , constructive reviews and support, as they always make me want to write more. I've been fiddling with my earlier chapters which were ridiculously short so that's why all the numbers are a bit messed up now but the content's still identical. Also I know the story's taken quite a sudden change but let me know what you're thinking so please keep reading and reviewing, and let me know what you think**

**XOXO- C**

In the few days after Draco and Ella first hooked up, they carried much like what had become normal for them. Get up, get drunk, get laid. It was their new pattern and neither one of them could complain. Ella was glad for the distraction. Although the alcohol worked wonders in numbing her pain, it didn't stop her from wallowing in her thoughts. They had never spoken about their little arrangement, but they never needed it. Both knew it was just sex, nothing else. Most men's dreams, or so you would think. Time was passing slowly and all the hours, days and weeks were lumping together as one.

Late one night, there was a vigorous tapping at the window. Ella pushed her unsteady body off of the sleeping Slytherin boy next to her. Wrapping a dressing gown around her, she opened the window and an owl swooped in, carrying a letter. She instantly recognised the neat scripture on the front.

_Ella,_

_Haven't heard from you in a while; none of us have actually. I know it's a stupid question and that you're probably not, but I hope you're okay. I know you probably haven't forgotten but the Karkaroff trial is in only two days time and Dumbledore has asked me to summon you to my place, where you can meet with your attorny and ask any questions you may need to ask. Send me the address of where you're staying and I'll pick you up from there at 12pm sharp tomorrow._

_Padfoot_

_PS look out for a tall blonde man- it's my latest my latest disguise_

Ella's hand shot to her mouth, the shock outweighing the remaining numbing effects of the alcohol. She had completely forgotten about the upcoming trial. She was dreading it, not just because she had to stand in front of a court full of people and explain the sorted details of her relationship with Igor and go through pain of having to relive what he put her through, but she had to face all the sympathy from everyone. That was the brilliant thing about Draco, he was cold hearted and uncaring and that was exactly what she needed right now. No amount of sympathy could ever lessen the pain, it only made it worse. She knew deep down that it was only because they cared but that didn't make it any easier.

"What's that?" Draco asked, rubbing his eyes blearily as he sat up.

"Just a letter from Si-" She stopped herself quickly, "Remus," She tried to correct herself although Malfoy still looked hesitant.

"About...?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The trial's in two days," She sat down on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, worried?" He questioned casually, no emotion in his tone as always.

"Guess so," She shrugged nonchalantly, twisting her hands into tight knots.

"Talk," He instructed. This took Ella by surprise, leaving her mouth hanging open. Men never wanted to talk, especially not man whores like Draco.

"There's nothing to talk about really," She lied in the longing of not having to go into her emotions. That was the thing with alcohol, it either keeps emotions at bay or allows them to drown you like a tsunami.

"Well, allow me to take your mind off things," Draco drawled, smirking wickedly as he poured another two drink from the desk then placed a fag in his mouth and lit it. Ella obliged by downing her drink, before taking the cigarette of the blonde boy and taking a drag herself.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" She asked him with an equal wickedness. Smirking even more, he leaned forward, pressing his lips on her own. "I like the sound of that," She teased as he began to undo her dressing gown.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat at the bar, dressed in distressed denim jeans and a loose fitting checkered shirt. She had had to shrink most of her clothes after her pregnancy but some of them had never quite returned to the fit they once had. She ordered a drink from the bartender, the hangover of the night before's, as she waited the arrival of Sirius. She nibbled at her previously well manicured nails and ran her hands through her short blonde hair nervously.

"Excuse me, miss," A gruff voice addressed her from behind her, "Do you know of Miss Potter's whereabouts?" She spun around quickly to see a tall, rugged blonde man.

"Padfoot?" She asked cautiously.

"Ella?" He asked, shocked at the drastic transformation of the girl compared to the last time he'd seen her. "You look...different," He said with a deep laugh as he gripped her in a tight embrace. "Very different," He added as he set her down and glanced over her.

"I wanted a change," She said shortly, turning back to face the bar, desperately wishing she had come down earlier to have drunk more.

"Remus was right to be worried when he heard you were staying on your own in a pub. We thought you were staying with other friends when you didn't ask to stay with us but really? Drinking at _this_ time?" He almost scolded, shocked at, now he looked closer, how much of a train wreck she had become.

"What does it matter whether it's am or pm? A drink's a drink," She shrugged dismissively, downing the rest of hers.

"And this one drinks around the clock," The bartender added as he passed, causing Ella to scowl at him. Sirius gripped her upper arm in one hand and her trunk in another, before addressing the bartender.

"Get her room turned down and set up for your next customer, she won't be coming back," Sirius instructed the man, "If she's left any possessions have them stored and we'll collect them within the week,"

"Yes, sir," The bartender nodded and Sirius led a protesting Ella out into the backyard before disapperating with a crack. Ella felt as though she was being sucked into a vacuum and all the air was being squeezed out of her. The spinning, combined with the excessive amount of drink she'd been ingesting since the beginning of the summer holidays, which was now catching up with her through an almighty hangover which would only be cured with alcohol, the moment her feet touched the ground, the intense spinning still carrying on inside of her head, she threw up on the pavement.

"woah woah," Sirius comforted her, patting her back and holding her hair until she was done, "Come on, let's get you inside.

Inside of Grimmauld Place was dark and dusty and it was very quiet in comparison to the busy wizarding pub Ella had just spent the previous two weeks in. Sirius led her through to the long kitchen, where he took a seat and gestured for to to take the one next to him.

"How you feeling?" He asked, he eyes, which had returned to their normal stormy grey, heavy with concern, as he placed a, what Ella assumed to be a comforting, hand on her leg, although it was doing the opposite.

"It's questions like that, that are the reason I didn't want to come here for summer," Ella shot at him, pulling away from his touch and began pacing around the kitchen. Sirius grimaced, fighting to keep his temper under control, deliberating whether he should for Remus to return to have this conversation with her, seeing as she was obviously so feisty at the minute.

"I know you're having a shit time of it at the minute, but it _will_ get better. You'll find a way through it and the first milestone is this trial," He said, also rising out of his chair, the volume of his voice slowly rising. Ella laughed a sharp bitter laugh, unlike any other Sirius had ever hear come from her lips. He didn't know whether it was stress and sadness that was imprinted on her face or the new, drastic hairstyle but all of a sudden, the young girl looked about ten years older than she was and much less like her mother.

"How do you know what I feel?" She bit. "Do you have any drink in?" She asked bluntly, deciding that seeing as he was obviously aware of her drinking, and it wasn't exactly a secret that he himself like a drink, that he wouldn't be shocked or any less likely to provide her with some than if she put it indirectly.

"Yes but you're not touching a drop until after this trial," He said resolutely, purposely ignoring her first question as it would most likely prevoke an argument, "If you turn up either severly hungover or drunk out of your mind, it could seriously jeopardise your case and the sick bastard could get off with nothing," He warned her.

"I don't even really care about the stupid case," She said sullenly.

"There's no point talking to you while you're like this," Sirius gave up, walking determinedly towards her, and began rummaging in a cupboard behind her and pulled out a small vial, "Here, take this- it's a hangover tonic- then go and take a shower and clean and sober yourself up before Dumbledore and you attorney get here in an hour," He commanded, before leaving the room, taking her case and showing her to her room. "Oh and Ella," He called as she entered her room, a plainly decorated room with a large double bed in the centre and a large, imposing wardrobe, "Don't let Moony ever see you in this state or he'll be on your back until you have children your own age," He said lightly as he turned back down the stairs.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

An hour, and a thorough shower, later, Ella was dressed in a small denim skirt, reaching half way down her thighs, and a strappy navy camisole, complimenting her newly blonde hair, which she'd dried with her wand so as it lay in its natural bohemian waves and straighten her fringe so as it lay millimetres above her eyelids. She quickly smeared foundation and concealer on, in attempt to hide her heavy bags and washed out complexion, and laced her eyes with a thin layer of eyeliner to try and make them look more lifted and lively.

"Ella, you need to go and meet Professor Dumbledore," Sirius called up the stairs, which she descended, as composed and slowly as she could. Shooting Sirius a worried look, she left the house and headed for the small cafe they had arranged to meet in, across the road.

"Good afternoon Professor," She smiled politely as she entered and took a seat at their table.

"Good afternoon to yourself, Miss Potter," He greeted kindly as though their last encounter, in which she'd been so terribly rude, had never happened, "This is Mr Simon Dawson. He has been working on your case and will be representing you tomorrow,"

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Potter," Mr Dawson, a tall broad shouldered man, who looked as though he was in his early 40's, with smart, slicked back black hair, dressed in a smart ebony suit, "Now, I would just like to go over some things for tomorrow, if that's alright," He said formally, to which Ella nodded, giving him permission to continue, "First things first, I would just like to clarify that what I have been told is true," He stated.

"Okay," Ella nodded uncertainly, feeling her headmaster's twinkling eyes peering down at her curiously.

"So, did Mr Igor Karkaroff take you in to live with him during the year you were on the run from Beauxbatons Wizarding School?"

"Yes," Ella nodded solemnly.

"And during that stay, Mr Karkaroff made inappropriate advances towards you, am I right?" Ella nodded once again. "Good, and when you came to Hogwarts in the September, him as your _headmaster_, you attempted to end the affair to which I understand he did not take so well?" He asked.

"No," Ella said, looking at the table, "He didn't take it very well,"

"What did he do in retaliation?" Mr Dawson continued. The meeting carried on in the same fashion, with Mr Dawson just checking that what he had found out was all, indeed, correct. He had obviously done his research as he seemed to know almost everything there was to know, or certainly that she wanted anyone to know, about her and Igor's relationship.

"Finally then, Elspeth, is your attire for tomorrow. The defendant is being trialed for inappropriate relationships with school students; attempted sexual assault; physical assault and statutory rape. Therefore, I suggest you dress yourself down a bit, as you do look old for your age and whilst the judges cannot use the fact you look older than your age as a reason to not charge him, it will help you if they subconsciously think of you as younger, so light make up and I don't know maybe high necklines, no tight fitting clothes or short shorts and maybe a headband or something,"

"So basically make it look as though Igor's into the prepubescent teens," Ella joked bitterly. She hated that she had to jump through so many hoops just to prove he was guilty.

"Exactly," He said with a light hearted smile, gathering his papers into his briefcase, "Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, I don't think so," She shot an empty smile at him. As nervous as she now was for this hideous trial, at least it took her mind off of her daughter and her ex boyfriend.

"Brilliant, I shall see you tomorrow then," He said, standing in his seat, "Get lots of rest, tomorrow's going to be a long hard day," He waved to the young girl and old wise professor as he left.

"Do you feel ready?" Dumbledore asked his student in a positive tone.

"As ready as I'll ever be," She gave another hollow, bitter laugh that she was now so accustomed to it was second nature, "Is that all, Professor?" Knowing that look on her headmaster's face all two well.

"There is one more thing," He said hesitantly, "I'm sorry to bring this up as it angered so greatly last time I did, but I don't suppose you'd be able to give the ministry a statement about the night in the Graveyard after the trial would you? It's just, because only Harry has said anything and you have stayed quiet, Fudge is using it as an excuse to make your brother out to be fabricating the whole thing as some form of way of overthrowing the minister,"

"That's absurd, he's not even fifteen yet, why would he want to overthrow the minister unless he, himself, was Voldemort?" She spat in disbelief.

"My point exactly, Elspeth. Now will you be able to do so?" Ella looked at him for a long time, deliberating.

"I'm sorry, Professor," She spoke quietly as she shook her head. She didn't deserve to be in Gryffindor, she was a complete coward. She couldn't even come out and tell everyone Voldemort was back to help her brother, "I can't," She spoke weakly.

"I understand, my dear child," He said standing up, holding out his arm to lead an ashamed Ella back to Grimmauld Place.

"Professor," She said, looking at him with big vulnerable eyes, "I was hoping that perhaps I could ask you about something?" She asked hesitantly as they crossed the square.

"Sure," He smiled kindly.

"That night, when I was fighting Tom- after he'd blasted me to the ground- he came to finish me off but something happened I don't know what it was. I had lost my wand yet when I put my arm up to protect me, he was sent flying back into the air. I think I did it," She said hesitantly.

"It certainly sounds as though you did. I've been waiting for something like this to happen," He said with a thin smile, his eyes twinkling with a knowing look.

"What does it mean though Professor?" She asked, sounding far too much like a small child for her liking. She hated not knowing something. It made her feel defenceless and vulnerable.

"It means, my child, that you preformed wandless magic unintentionally. Wandless magic is a very advanced type of magic, and is something that many wizards and witches will not accomplish in their lifetimes. It's made more powerful when you are in danger, as you were that night. From young I always believed that you possessed unusual powers, as even as a mere 30 month old, you could already do things with out meaning to, like blowing up your father's glasses when he told you off once," The Headmaster chuckled at this fond memory, "Why you possess such powers, I do not know but that is why I felt that you could not live with your aunt as your brother did and that a wizard run orphanage would be more suitable. I am sorry for seperating you and your brother and I am sorry if you had an unpleasant time in the life I chose for you but know I did with your best interests in mind," The headmaster finished.

"Thank you, Professor," Ella smiled at him gratefully before entering Grimmauld Place with a deep sigh. Tomorrow was going to hard, she knew it but only if she'd known just how hard.


	37. The trial

Ella awoke early the next morning, having had very little sleep, spending the night tossing and turning. Whilst in the shower, she tried to envisage how the trial might go. She hadn't so much as given it a thought since leaving school, but now here she stood, shaking vigorously, whether it was from fear or the withdrawal from the alcohol which she'd become so dependent on in the past two weeks, she did not know. She dried and straightened her hair with her hand before dressing in a simple black, the longest she owned, although still only hald way down her thigh, and a loose fitting, pale pink blouse before sliding a plain black, satin head band into her short blonde hair. As she surveyed herself in the full length mirror in her en-suite bathroom, Ella decided she looked more like a young school girl now than when she was actually dressed in her school uniform.

As she trudged into the cold kitchen, Ella forgot her ongoing misery and the impending trial when she saw the back of a familiar light, dirt brown head.

"Remus," She ran towards him, pulling him into a hug.

"Merlin," He stated as he looked her over, "When Pads told me you'd changed your look a little I didn't quite realise how drastically. You look so...young," He faltered. Ella laughed her bitter laugh.

"_That_ was my attorney's decision, the hair on the other hand, was because I fancied a change," She shrugged pouring herself a mug of coffee.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Remus asked, rooting through Sirius' cupboards.

"This'll do, I don't feel like eating," She said politely. She was always nice to Remus, no matter what had just happened to her or how bad a mood she was in because he was always there for her through all her drama, and let's face it, where Ella goes, drama almost always follows.

"You need to eat properly," He said sternly, looking at the young girl in concern.

"I'm fine, I just like if I eat, it'll only give me something to bring back up," She said, only partially lying. While she did feel sick, it wasn't just because of the trial and she could tell by his look that Sirius knew that. He waited for Remus to leave the room before taking the seat next to Ella and opening his copy of the Daily Prophet with an expecting smirk on his face.

"What?" She snapped irritably.

"Enjoying your coffee?" He asked her casually.

"Be better if it was irish," She grumbled miserably.

"Ah, as I thought," He grinned before turning to her seriously, lowering his voice, "It's hard, I get it, but you _have_ to get through today without a drink because if you don't and turn up to the trail drunk...well...we've already had this conversation," He stopped himself, remembering how their last conversation along these lines had gone, "look, after the trial, if he's been sentensed we'll have celebratory drinks okay?"

"And if not..."

"And if not, we'll drown our sorrows but either way I'll be there and be monitoring you so as you don't do anything stupid, deal?"

"deal," She said with a sly smirk of her own, relieved at the thought of a nice, strong drink at the end of the day.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

"Miss Potter," The clerk called her into the courtroom. Her body froze and her mouth went dry.

"I can't do this," She shook her head desperately, "I can't, I can't,"

"Shh, relax," Remus soothed, "You can do this, I know you can," He smiled at her, standing up, prompting her to also do so. They split when Remus entered the public gallery, wishing her luck.

Shakily, Ella walked over through the ministry court room, feeling all the eyes present, boaring into her. She felt as though her legs were about to give way as she casted a glance around the room to see Igor sat behind glass panels, staring daggers at her. She quickly found Remus' kind face reassuring her as she carried on. Next to Remus she saw Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, George, Angelina and Kaite's faces all smiling encouragingly at her. When she took to the stand, her attorney, Mr Dawson, basically repeated their conversation from the day before, giving all the facts, but this time allowing Ella to speak more.

"That is all," Mr Dawson nodded to the judge.

"Very well, now the defense attorney please take to the stand," The judge directed. A mean looking man, with greasy, slicked back, platinum hair, a sharp unkind face and beady eyes, stood up and took his place on the stand.

"Miss Elspeth Potter, you first came into contact with my client in January 1994 in the city of Szczecin, is that right?" He asked, his voice cold and harsh, just like his facial features.

"Yes," She nodded, keeping her face neutral and expressionless with her chin lifted high.

"And you were in a bar when you first met my defendant?" He asked accusingly.

"Well, yes but..." She faltered, losing her composure slightly.

"Yes or no?" he demanded cooly, his voice never changing, only speaking a bit firmer.

"Yes but how is this relevant?" She shot at the lawyer.

"I will ask the questions Miss Potter," He said snarkily, "Now, this brings us to my first point which is; because of this, my client never actually knew of her age at first, assuming, as many honorable, law respecting citizens do, that if someone is in a bar and drinking, that they will be of age. Now, Miss Potter, what did Mr Karkaroff do in this meeting?" He asked.

"I wasn't drinking, I was working," She spat. The attorney ignored this.

"_What_ did Mr Karkaroff do for you?" He asked once again, this time his voice firmer, his enjoyment of making her squirm evident in his voice.

"He bought me a hot meal and offered me some money to get me back on my feet after I told him of my situation," She said glumly looking at her feet.

"Oh what a horrible man Mr Karkaroff is," He sneered mockingly, "Now can you please explain to the jury _why_ you were in your 'situation'," Ella glanced at her friends for support as she felt herself begin to crack, scared of where this horrible attorney was taking this.

"I ran away from school because I couldn't stand it," She said through gritted teeth. The attorney immediately swooped in.

"And this leads me to my second point, Miss Potter is known to have always loved the spotlight to be on her, leading me to believe my client when he tells me that she is making all these allegations up. That she twisted and contorted what really happened when things didn't go her way so as everyone would make a fuss of her. Oh _poor_ miss Potter," He sneered.

"That's ridiculous!" She exclaimed.

"Now, now Miss Potter, I must ask you not to make a fuss whilst this honorable jury are trying to gather all the evidence," He sneered, causing Ella to bite her bottom lip nervously, realising she had just proved his point by taking the bait he'd so obviously laid out for her, "So, carrying on, I understand that after this you met Mr Karkaroff once more in April of the same year, this time in a bar in Flensburg, Demark; am I correct?" He asked.

"Yes." She said shortly, trying to regain her composure.

"At this point my client, being the caring, honest man he is, saw that you were using and selling on illegal drugs whilst living on the street, and offered you to stay at his apartment in Sofia, Bulgaria, yes?" He asked smugly.

"Yes," She nodded solemnly, feeling sick at how innocently he was being portrayed.

"This is where you allege that Mr Karkaroff made his first advances towards you but I think that's not the truth, is it Miss Potter?"

"What?" She asked stunned, "Of course it is!"

"I believe that it was _you_ that made advances towards my client who, believing you were of age and he was doing nothing wrong, obliged."

"No," Ella gasped as the cruel attorney continued.

"He later found out that you were indeed only fifteen years old and, in his horror, stopped your brief affair. Despite your devious deception, my client was still kind enough to enroll you at his school because that's just the type of person Mr Karkaroff is. Not exactly the type of person who would then go on to abuse and try to _rape_ his student, is it? He shot you back and _you_ got jealous."

"No, no," She shook her head desperately.

"You hated that he didn't want you and you perused him, even once term had started. You even tranferred schools to try and convince him that it was okay for the pair of you to rekindle your affair. You practically stalked Mr Karkaroff, so much so that you flung yourself at him with such force, when he tried to defend himself and pushed you off of him, you fell and received the injuries you claimed were purposely inflicted by my client. In a jealous rage, you then went to the hospital wing of Hogwarts and filed a false report in which you claimed several very serious allegations against my client, which could cause him to lost his job and freedom. Why should an innocent man lose everything because of a few vicious lies from an angry, petty, desperate school girl," He sneered, looking around the jury confidently.

"NO!" Ella yelled. "I never _wanted_ to sleep with him but at first I felt I owed it to him after all he did for me and eventually _I _stopped it and it was _him _that didn't take it very well,"

"I'm sorry, I just find it hard to believe that a man who so kindly put himself out for you so much would, in a matter of months, turn into the violent, vindictive man you're making him out to be. _I _think that you _did_ want to sleep with him. The bar you met Mr Karkaroff at for the second time, the one in Denmark, you worked in it, am I right?"

"Yes..." Ella answered hesitantly, terrified about where this was going.

"And was this just a...how to put it...regular bar?" Ella's face drained of all colour. She looked frantically around the room at the reactions of everyone, her eyes wild, giving her a look of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Yes," She answered shakily.

"Lie." The attorney snapped at her. "The bar at which you worked was actually a bar where men came to watch half dressed women dance around provocatively. You, Elspeth Potter, worked in a strip bar, which leads me to my final point that you were and probably still are a whore. You use sex to get what you want. You are manipulative and devious and this is all a lie!"

"NO!" She yelled the tears flooding down her face. "I'm not lying! I only worked as a waitress, nothing else," She felt sick at the disgusted and shocked looks on her friends' faces. The attorney gave a low, mean chuckle.

"And yet another lie," He laughed, "You just can't help yourself can you?"

"I ONLY WORKED AS A WAITRESS!" She yelled frantically, her make up running down her face, any chance of regaining her composure gone. "Make him stop! Please. Someone. Just make him stop," She cried out desperately.

"Your employment certificate states otherwise, Miss Potter," He held up the certificate infront of him and began reading it out, "Elspeth Potter. Position: Waitress/Dancer. Main duties: Serving drinks, preforming explicit dances on main stage once a shift and preforming private dances,"

"STOP!" Ella yelled again before running out of the room.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Ella!" George rushed into the private room the young girl had been waiting in prior to the disastrous trial. He saw her lying in a heap on the floor, sobbing heavily. "Ella," He breathed as he neared her, and dropped to his knees beside her, pulling her into his lap, "Shh, it's alright,"

"I fucked it up," She cried, clutching onto George's shirt, "They're never going to believe me now they know I so blatantly lied about Denmark. No one is," She sobbed even harder.

"Shh, I'll always believe you," He stroked her hair, trying to calm her down, "Like I believe that you were just doing whatever it took to survive when you took that job,"

"You must be daft then, look at me. He got one thing right about me, I'm a walking train wreck. I destroy everything I touch and now Karkaroff's going to get off and he can go and do the same to another girl and when he does, it'll be all my fault," She choked.

"Don't speak like that," George said sternly, "If the jury have any sense, they won't believe a word of what that twisted attorney was saying. Plus your my best friend, there's no way I'm walking away from you" He tried to comfort her.

"Why wouldn't they? He obviously was speaking with an element truth. If I'm such a using, manipulative whore then why isn't your brother here?" She snapped more at herself than George who was still cradling her like a small child.

"He's not here because he didn't want to mess with your head on a day like this," He said softly, "Not hearing from you all this time is killing him," Ella felt a pang of guilt. While Fred had been dying inside because he was missing her, she had been getting off her face 24/7 and shagging her brother's enemy. She shouldn't feel guilty, it was his fault and his fault alone that they weren't together anymore but moving on would be a lot easier if she didn't still love him.

At that moment the clerk came into the private room, her heels clicking as she walked in.

"Miss Potter, they'd like you to go back into the courtroom and take to the stand again please," The clerk chirped, holding the door open, waiting for Ella to follow her.

"You can do it, you're a fighter, remember?" George pushed her off of his lap into a standing position.

"Thanks, George," Ella smiled weakly at his, wiping the tears from her face before turning to the waiting clerk, "can I just clean up a bit first?"

"Follow me to the bathroom," the clerk answered with a sympathetic smile, the worst kind in Ella's opinion.

~~~~~C~~~~~

With her makeup reapplied to its usual state, her clothes sorted out so she looked less like the innocent teen her attorney had been to portray her as, the hairband ditched and her hair messed back up and plumped to its normal state, Ella walked back into the courtroom unashamed with her head held high. She wasn't fooling anyone dressing like someone she wasn't, it was ll just more dishonesty and if she had walked back in there cowarding, she would just proving that horrible defense attorney's point.

"Miss Potter, are you ready to continue?" The attorney, who ,Mr Dawson had informed her, was called Dr Ingleton and was one of the most renowned lawyers money could buy, asked with a triumphant smile playing on his thin lips, which Ella tried to mirror on her full ones.

"Yes," She said resolutely as though she was just about to enter battle.

"Do I need to remind you that you are still under oath?" He asked quizzically.

"No, if you let me, I'll explain the truth," She said firmly, locking her eyes on his, before turning her glare to Karkaroff for the first time during the whole trial.

"Very well, go on," He said, looking somewhat surprised.

"When I was fourteen years old, I ran away from my school, Beauxbatons Academy as you know. My money ran out very quickly and I needed to do whatever it took to survive. It's cruel out there you know, having no one to care about your whereabouts, no one to care whether you're alive or dead. I came from an orphanage you see, and once I'd left France, I'd effectively burnt all my bridges with any support I'd ever had. That's why when Igor- sorry- Mr Karkaroff, found me the first time and offered me food and money, I didn't know how else to respond other than take his money and run. The longer I was on the streets, the more I began to realise how hard it was to get jobs and ultimately stay alive. I took anything I could get and within those months of leaving school, although I was very skinny at the time from a lack of food, I'gone from a little girl to a woman in looks. Yes, I did work at that bar as a dancer but I was desperate. With out that job, I had no money to buy food and it wasn't like I had a home I could go back to at any point. Do you know how many people in the same situation as myself, I saw _die_ out there? Too many. That job was hell. I hated every moment of it. I hated the way I was looked at like a piece of meat,"

"If you could get on with it," Dr Ingleton said, tapping his watch impatiently. Ella's eyes flashed angrily. He'd asked for the truth and that was exactly what she was giving him.

"Anyway, when Karkaroff recognised me on stage one night whilst he was a customer in that bar with some of his..._friends. _Seems, he's not such a good to do, honest man of good ingratiates after all," She added, shooting a sly glare at her previous headmaster, "He asked me to come back and live with him in his flat but what he, nor I, have ever told anyone, is that he didn't let me live there free of costs like has been said. It wasn't just out of the goodness of his heart," She spat, "While I stayed in his apartment in Sofia, and he was away most the time at Durmstrang, he sent over certain 'friends' in order for me to 'entertain'," She said in distaste with a bitter laugh.

"Entertain? In what way?" The judge asked.

"In the kind of way where he collected money at the end of the night," There was a ripple of muttering and whispers throughout the jury and public gallery, people's faces contorted with disgust.

"And- supposing what your are telling us is the truth- you went along with it?" Dr Ingleton questioned skeptically, evidently very annoyed that he had been caught so off guard.

"As I said, I desperate and was doing whatever it took to survive and this 'job' came with free food, accommodation and almost anything I wanted,"

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" The defence attorney shot at her.

"I just admitted to a room full of people that I was effectively a prostitute. Why would I do that for no reason?" He didn't answer so she carried on. "However, eventually, after he was back for summer, it was- how did he put it- _his turn, _and that's when the affair started. I went along with it, he was providing me with stability and safety, for the short term anyway. When term time started again, I tried to end it but he kept coming back and I never refused him. That was, not until, early November. Igor came into my room that night, just as I was about to dress for bed. He came onto me, telling me that he missed me, that he needed me -all purely physically of course- but I refused him. Told him that I had met someone worth stopping this whole sordid affair for. That pushed him over the edge. He pinned me to the wall, by my shoulders, with one of his forearms, and began forcefully undressing me," She said with an eerie lack of emotion as there was a general gasp. All she had said before was that he had tried to force himself on her, but it was now obvious that being vague wasn't going to get her anywhere, "I started screaming out for help but he put his hand over my mouth and told me that I needed putting in my place. That he was doing me a favour because no liked a slut that thought above herself," She gave a cold bitter laugh, "He kept trying to kiss and touch me, but I kept fighting against him but the more I fought, the more determined he seemed," She paused, giving Karkaroff's attorney a chance to jump in.

"But if this is true, why did he stop? Why wouldn't he have just gone all the way? After all you're accusing him of attempted rape,"

"There was a banging at the door," She answered coolly, "my fellow student, and friend, Viktor Krum, who often came to visit me when I was staying at Igor's in Sofia, had heard my screams and came to see what was happening. Igor kept me pressed against the wall, his hand around my neck, threatening to strangle me if I made a noise but thankfully for me, Viktor knocked the door down and punched Igor clean across the face. If you look at Hogwarts' Hospital Wing's records, they should have a record of him getting his jaw seen to," She finished, still staring ahead glassily, not wanting to look at the emotions on her friends' faces. She hadn't told anyone about her stint as an in house whore at Igor's let alone gone through his attmepted rape of her in detail. She knew what she'd see one their faces; a mixture of pity, sympathy and - as much as they might try and hide it- disgust.


	38. The Verdict

It was a long tense wait sat in the private room provided by the ministry. Sat with Ella, was all her friends that had spent the trail in the public gallery as the spectacle before them unfolded. Ella sat chewing on her finger nails as the rest of the group sat, absorbed in their own private conversations.

"Elle," Angelina whispered, leaning over to her best friend, breaking her out of her trance, "I had no idea what had gone on. Why didn't you tell me?" She sounded almost upset but Ella just scoffed and laughed bitterly.

"How would I have? 'Oh hi, I'm the new girl, Ella, and I used to be a hooker.' You would've ran as far as you could. You all would've and I wouldn't have blamed you," She said scornfully, the glassy look in her eye from the trail still present as she stared ahead, making eye contact with no one.

"You know what I mean," Angelina almost pleaded. She hated seeing her best friend like this. She used to be so happy and smiley and was always cracking jokes with the twins but now she just miserable and mean and never really felt like she was actually there. She hadn't been the same since that dreadful night nearly a month ago. Ella broke her glassy stare, shooting her friend an unreadable look before clearing her throat loudly to catch the attention of the room.

"Can I just take the chance to ask all of you that nothing you heard in the courtroom today is to be repeated to anyone, and I mean anyone." She said shortly before walking away to the opposite side of the room to avoid any awkward conversations with Mr or Mrs Weasley. Unfortunately for her, however, George was hot on her heels as she paced by the window at the far side of the room.

"Are you asking me not to tell my twin?" George asked quietly, as to not attract any of the others' attention, reaching out and taking a hold of her wrist to still her.

"Yes," She hissed, "That's _exactly _what I mean,"

"But he's my twin, we tell each other everything," He complained.

"I don't care, tell him and I'll hex you so hard it will most likely be the last thing you ever say," She threatened.

"Ella, he'll understand-"

"Don't you dare say a word, George Weasely," She hissed menacingly, with a look of panic flashing in her eyes and her tone dripping with fear as she softened her voice, "Please, I'm begging you, don't tell Fred," She pleaded. She didn't know why she cared so much. They were long done and it had been her decision to end things but even after everything, she still couldn't bare the thought of him thinking of her as a whore.

"I won't say a word," He resided, pulling her into his chest as she broke down into yet more sobs. All that was keeping her going through this day was the thought of that promised drink- or five- at the end of the day. As he released her from his brotherly hold, Ella felt a soft, gentle hand place on he shoulder.

"Remus," She shot herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his waist like a five year old. She felt like a five year old at that moment and all she wanted was for her closest thing to a father to hold her tight and tell her it was all going to be okay even though he couldn't ever know that.

"Shh, it's alright," he whispered, stroking her hair and holding her tightly just as she longed for and had done growing up, "They'll call us in for the judgement and sentencing soon. It'll all be over soon, you'll see,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella entered the public gallery with her friends and family, even if not in blood, shaking like a leaf. It all game down to this. All the revelations, tears, stress and trauma of the day would have all been for nothing if the judge and jury believed his story over hers. It was always like this in these sorts of cases, one word against another. A case of who was telling the truth and who was lying out of their dirty, rotten backside. Ella picked nervously at a loose thread on her skirt to try and steady her hands as the magistrate began to speak.

"We are here today to trial Mr Igor Karkaroff on the charges of Statutory rape; seriously breaching his position of trust; physical assault and attempted sexual assault, all against Miss Elspeth Louise Potter. All claims have been denied and the defendant has pleaded innocent. So, has the jury come to a decision?" He turned to the jury who simultaneously agreed with nods, whilst a senior looking man stated that they had. This was the moment that Ella had been dreading for months now. The moment when she found out whether all the reporting him was worth all the aggravation, pain and public humiliation. It would all be worth it if she could go back home tonight and know she'd stopped him treating another young, vulnerable girl in the same, disgusting way. "So what is the decision on charges of statutory rape?" The barrister said so formally it lead Ella to wonder whether all these pretentious formalities were completely necessary and why couldn't they just cut the chase.

"Guilty," The senior man said shortly as Ella's heart soared. So they hadn't thought her a complete liar but then she reminded herself that they didn't have to believe her to find him guilty of this charge as Igor himself had admitted that he'd slept with her.

"The charges of seriously breeching his position of trust?" The official barrister asked emotionlessly as though he didn't give a crap about the lives that would be changed depending on these answers. But then again, he probably didn't care. Why would he? He probably saw hundreds of these sorts of cases each year.

"Guilty," There was a muffled cheering from the public gallery as Angelina squeezed Ella's hand encouragingly, smiling at her, genuinely happy for her friend getting the justice she deserved.

"And the charges of physical abuse?" The barrister asked once the court had settled.

"Innocent," Ella's heart sunk. She should've known it had been too good to be true. They hadn't believed her story over his. They actually believed that she, being the exhooker she was, had physically thrown herself at him so vigorously that she had injured herself to that extent.

"Finally, what is the decision on the claims of attempted rape," It felt as if the whole court room held their breath, on tenterhooks.

"Innocent, the defendant is cleared of all charges of abuse but will be served a 3 year sentence in Azkaban with the possibility of getting out after 2 with good behaviour and must never teach in schools or work with children again, in addition with not going within a hundred yards of Miss Potter. If he is found to break any of his parole terms he will be sentenced to Azkaban once again with an equal sentence." The senior man stated sitting in his seat.

Ella felt sick. Only three years, two with 'good' behaviour and he could be out and treat another young girl in exactly the same was as he had her. She wanted to throw something, preferably and the dimwitted jury's heads but what she wanted more was a stiff drink and a few of them at that. As she was mulling over things, in her own little world, as the rest of the court room began to become active once more with people leaving - including Karkaroff being carted off the the wizarding prison - she couldn't help but wonder whether the jury had been right. Surely that many people couldn't be wrong. Maybe she was just a good for nothing whore that blew everything out of proportion, or more the people who had supposedly loved her had whilst she sat there and let it happen. She shook her head, she was being ridiculous again. Or was she though?

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"how did it go?" Sirius jumped up the second his housemates entered the threshold of his old family home. Ella said nothing and just dashed past him, up to the library upstairs, still too hacked off at the result to be in the mood to have a cosy little sit down chat.

"It was brutal," Remus said to his best friend quietly, as he turned to follow the younger girl. Sirius grimmaced, feeling a pang of guilt remembering he had been the one to push her to report the creep. He had been naïve to believe that he would be sent down with no problem.

"El?" He said cautiously as he entered the library, opening the door slowly. "Moony told me it was pretty rough," he offered as he moved to take the other seat on the love seat sofa which she was sat on.

"You can say that again," she bit, bitterly casting her mind back to earlier that day. It had been draining and all she wanted and needed now was a big drink. As though he was reading her mind, Sirius stood up and sauntered over to the large cabinet across from them and poured out two large classes of fire whisky. He flopped gracefully back down onto the sofa, handing Ella her drink, which was downed within an instant.

"Don't tell Moony I'm supplying you drink underage, he'll have me on the wrong end of a noose," he said with a low, gruff chuckle, "so, what happened?" He asked attentively.

"it came out that I used to work in a strip joint when Karkaroff's attorney made me out to be an obsessive, lying slut and in an last attempt to try and recover it, I admitted that I used to be a hooker for him," she said bluntly with a shrug.

"What?" Sirius thought must have misheard her. She was only 16, 15 when all this was going on. Wasn't that far too young for all of that sort of thing? Obviously not. Apparently, if you're old enough to fight Voldemort- and quite successfully at that- you're also old enough to be a hooker as well.

"I had sex with men that Karkaroff sent round for money. I believe that's in the job description of a prostitute," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't call yourself that, he got you to do that because he's a sick bastard," Sirius spat angrily. He didn't know what he was angry at. Whether it was at himself for encouraging her to end up going through that; at Karkaroff for using her when she was so vulnerable or at Ella herself for believing what the sick bastards were saying about her. Believing that she was a good for nothing hooker. _  
_

"Why not?" she retorted. "I'm just stating my previous job title, what's the crime in that? Everyone knows now and thats that." She said with a worrying finality as she poured them both another drink and downed hers instantly.

"People will understand, certainly anyone worth knowing," he countered.

"I don't know, can't imagine any man touching me with a bargepole now," she said with another bitter laugh and another large drink, the alcohol starting to give that desired, lightheaded, numb effect.

"Firstly you need to slow down on the drink," Sirius states with a low chuckle, pulling her into his chest comfortingly, "secondly, maybe you need to stop worrying about men and start thinking about boys, and finally I don't believe that. You're gorgeous, have legs for miles and are a laugh a minute so pretty much any man in their right mind would forgive your past. We've all made mistakes, there's not a person in the world who hasn't,"

"but not everyone shagged people for money," she scoffed scornfully of herself.

"but not everyone's been in the position you were in. Most couldn't even imagine it I'm their wildest dreams. Stop doubting yourself," he said sternly as she pulled out a cigarette from her bra and placed it between her full lips. She has never been much of a smoker before but since summer, she found it helped calm her.

"Got a light?" She asked ignoring his previous comments. Begrudgingly, Sirius lit her cigarette from the tip of his wand. "Thanks," she said as she took long drag before offering it to him to take one himself He obliged taking a long, drawn out drag with a sigh.

"You're a bad influence on me Potter," he teased ruffling her hair, causing her to swat his hand away with the truest, despite still having a degree of hollow bitterness, laugh she had allowed to escape her lips in weeks.

"Someone had to carry on my dad's legacy and I can hardly see Harry doing anything to lead anyone astray," she shrugged, "I kind of hope that maybe he would be proud of me in that way, even if in no other," she took another drag before knocking back another drink.

"your dad- and your mother for that matter - would be so incredibly proud of what a strong, beautiful young woman you've become,"

"You really seem intent on complimenting me today, you ought to be careful or I might start to think you're attracted to me," she said, slightly slurred, with a sly grin.

"I am only telling the truth, Ella, and honestly, I'd be completely mad if I didn't. Even Moony would if he didn't see you as his daughter," He grinned at her drunkly, his instincts, of neither the fatherly nor brotherly kind, kicking in, sending him back to his days of man-whoring around Hogwarts. Ever since he'd been let out of Azkaban he'd had to use polyjuice and the exterior of the unlucky stranger to be hit by his stunning spell, in order to go out, get drunk and pull but he could never bring a woman back and the feeling of being in this close proximity of an attractive woman in the comfort of his own home, with his own appearance, on top the excessive amount of alcohol he had consumed, was getting the better of Sirius' better judgement.

"And now I might start to think you're coming on to me," Ella teased in a low whisper, stubbing out her fag and leaning closer to him, a smirk tugging at her full lips, still laden in red lipstick from the trial.

"What if I am?" He slurred, leaning in closer himself.

"That wouldn't be so bad," She shrugged, not breaking their intense eye contact, although beginning to sway slightly now she was sat up. Tantilisingly, she leaned in even closer, so as he could feel her hot, alcohol drenched breath on his lips.

"Well what about this?" He closed the distance between, pressing his lips hard into hers. Sirius tenderly opened his mouth, licking her bottom lip, asking for entry, which she granted easily. He pulled Ella onto his lap and etwined his fingers into her hair pulling her head back so he could deepen the kiss further. Drunkenly upset and determined to prove her point to herself that maybe, just maybe, a man could still want her, she began to push her body closer to Sirius', rubbing up against his lap, grinding her hips playfully into his. These actions were a wake up to Sirius as he felt himself harden beneath her.

"Ella," He gasped for breath as she placed teasing kisses down his neck and onto his collar bone. For a moment he was about to give and just let happen what might happen but he couldn't. "Ella, stop," he moved his hands from her hair, down to her shoulders where he gently pushed her away so as to put distance between them, despite her still straddling him.

"What?" She asked. unbothered by his resistance, moving back towards him, licking her lips, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she noticed the lipstick smears across his face, down his neck and on the collar of his shirt. He relented for a moment, reveling in the feeling of her passionate kisses, before regaining his mind.

"Stop," He said again, pushing her back slightly firmer than the previous attempt, causing her to scowl at him.

"I knew it," She gave a bitter laugh, "No one wants a whore, oh sorry, ex whore," She spat.

"No, I don't care," He insisted, causing her to move into kiss him once again, her lips sending wondrous tingles through his skin despite the large amount of alcohol he had consumed. Finally she came up for air, resting her forehead on his own. "This isn't a good idea," He pleaded, regaining some hint of sense and soberness, hoping dearly that she didn't keep trying to seduce him, not knowing how much longer he'd be able to control himself and hold out.

"Why not?" She whispered into his ear. "What harm can it do? Just this one night?" She whispered slowly.

"You're drunk," He stood up, pushing her off of his lap.

"So are you," She pointed out, moving towards him once more, snaking her arms around his neck and lacing her hands in his hair, playing with it softly.

"Yes but I'm sober enough to know this is a really, really bad idea," He countered, trying desperately to keep his self control.

"Lighten up, just have some fun," She teased, swaying still, the alcohol causing the room to spin almost unbaringly so but she liked it. She like the confusion it brought. She liked the simplicity of the unclarity because it distracted her from the other confusions in her life. She needed to prove to herself that she was right, no man wanted her now and Sirius was playing along perfectly by repeatedly pushing her away, "I won't tell if you don't," She whispered in his ear, her lips grazing it ever so slightly, causing him to shiver, which didn't go unnoticed by Ella. She smiled to herself. Even if they didn't want her consciously, their bodies did and she was enjoying feeling as though she held some kind of power of someone. Just a few hours previously, she'd felt so weak and powerless but now she had full control, even if it wasn't in maybe the most ideal of situations.

"Ella please, you're drunk and upset," at this she pulled back jerkily, with such force she nearly toppled over off her unsteady feet.

"I'm upset?! That's news to me," She scoffed incredulously.

"Yes," Sirius said firmly, standing his ground, "The trial didn't go as planned today and you lost your daughter barely a month ago, you're still grieving," Ella threw her glass across the room, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces, scattered around, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Don't you _dar__e_ bring Mila into this," She screamed at him, her whole body shaking.

"Look, I didn't mean to upset you," He tried to calm her, "Please just talk to me. You need to talk about her. It's not healthy to react like this the second someone mentions her,"

"I only react like this when someone uses her to excuse themselves," She shot back, her voice dripping in venom.

"I'm not trying to excuse myself, I'm just stating that you're still upset as anyone else would be. It was a horrible tragedy but you'll have to get over it and start talking about her to people or it'll eat you up. She'll always be your daughter and no one can take that away from you and one day, when the time's right and you've lived a long, full life, you'll meet her again and spend eternity with her," He cautiously moved towards her, hand out stretched, one step at a time as though she was a unpredictable, wild animal that could snap at any moment.

He expected her to start shouting at him again, as she had a number of times already in the past 32 hours since she'd arrived at Grimmauld place, but she just stood there, silently staring ahead of her, still shaking, before crumpling into Sirius' arms, sobbing hard. "Shh, there there," He comforted the younger girl, patting her back soothingly as she hiccouped and choked on her sobs.

"I...I'm sorry," She said between sobs when she started to calm down, "I shouldn't have pushed you and shouted at you," She still clung onto his top as they sat on the floor in the middle of the house's library.

"Don't worry about it, I'm the one that should be sorry...for leading you on," He grimaced as he realised he had caused this mess, "especially after having a day like today and after everything that's happened to you recently,"

"Let's just not tell anyone what happened?" She asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Sirius agreed.

They sat in silence for a while, Ella leaning into Sirius' chest whilst he leaned against the large mahogany desk, him beginning to adopt his familiar and comforting older brotherly attitude towards her once again, which settled Ella much more. Maybe things could just go back to normal. In this time, Boots had crept through the door that had been ajar and curled up in Ella's knee as she stroked his small, soft body. She hadn't had Boots long but his presence calmed her. She could sit and pet him for hours.

"What kind of person do you reckon she would've grown into?" Ella slurred through sniffles, breaking the silence.

"Strong, fierce, clever, loyal and would have an almighty temper; just like her mum," He half teased, asuming she was talking about Mila-Lily.

"What if I had made a mess of raising her though? She could've ended up like me, a messed up train wreck that gets knocked up at sixteen," She spat, never loathing herself more than she did at that moment.

"Stop doubting yourself, you would have been a great mum you just weren't lucky enough to get the chance to prove it but you have plenty of time to raise more kids. Just maybe when you've left school please," He chuckled.

"I really miss her," She whispered pensively, so quiet it was barely audible, "I know it sounds ridiculous because I only had her for a few hours but I had her inside of me for sixth months. I used to tell her stories and sing to her when she wouldn't stop kicking. She was always there but now she's not and it's so easy for me to be alone now," She sighed deeply.

"Well, you're not going to be alone any more this summer. You're going to leave here with me- and Moony some of the time- just like I lived with your dad after I ran away from my family. You're not alone, Ella. We're all here for you, you'll see,"


	39. Glass Houses

The time began to pass quicker for Ella and with the support of Remus and- especially- Sirius, she started to feel a bit more optimistic, as though things could turn back to normal, and started to turn away from the drink. Granted, she still sat with Sirius in the house's library most evenings for a night cap after dinner, but now it just stayed as a couple of drinks and no more. She was even cutting down on how much she was smoking so, generally, things were on the up for Elspeth Potter, not that they could've gotten much worse.

Around a week after the trail, Ella was sat in the kitchen with Sirius, after Remus had gone out, reading the paper over a bagel and coffee. Her brother, once again, had made the headlines, today's being particularly harsh referring to him as 'The Boy Who Lied'. It enraged her. If only all those petty journalists realised how torturous that night had been for him. She knew she wasn't doing anything to help by staying silent, but after seeing how desperately Fudge was denying all of Harry's claims, she knew he'd get the journalists to find a way to twist it to make it look as though it was all some conspricy and she had been in ithe public eye enough recently,and with the recent revelations about her, she feared that if her profile were to be raised, that someone from that courtroom would feel the urge to leak the news.

"They've really got it in for Harry," Sirius sighed as he read his own paper, wiping his sweaty brow. It was a boiling day already. This summer had been notoriously hot, breaking many British records for heat waves- not that that was particularly hard- but the heat wasn't a pleasant one. It felt suffocating and humid.

"I don't want to read it, it'll only piss me off," She grumbled, purposely skipping the page which had her brother's face plastered all over, fanning herself with it slightly as she did so.

"You, it might help if you back up his statement," Sirius said for the fourth time that week. He cared about Ella and her happiness very much, but he hated to see his Godson being bashed by the press after facing what he had had to.

"We've been over this, I can't," Ella shot at him sternly. She hated it when he pestered but she got his point and that's what infuriated her so much. Just as Sirius was about speak, there was a tapping at the window. Sirius shot the young girl a questioning look before opening the window, allowing the large, speckled grey barn owl into the kitchen. Sirius took the later from around its ankle and handed it over to Ella, who was mirroring his confused expression. However, the moment she saw the neat scrawl on the front, she guessed who it was.

_Ella,_

_I'm back home now and it really is atrocious. I wanted to know how the trial went, I've heard things from father but...well, father's father isn't he. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron 7pm tonight and don't bring anyone._

_-D.M_

"Who's that from?" Sirius asked sceptically at her confused but at the same time, happy expression.

"No one that matters," Ella shrugged, crumpling it up and putting it in her back pocket before standing from the table and clearing her plates to the sink. Sirius just raised his eyebrows with a slight chuckle. He knew that excuse; it was the one that girls used to give their parents when they were arranging to meet him back in the day. He had to admit, he hadn't thought she'd move on so quickly. He'd assumed that her and Fred would end up getting back together, but for now, as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered to him.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

The familiar smell of the cigarette smoke and draught beer filled Ella's nostrils as she entered the wizarding pub, dressed in her short- but not slutty- tight black skirt, a strappy pair of gladiator stilettos, emphasising her long legs, and a tasteful, light turquoise camisole. By the bar, she saw the familiar platinum blonde, slicked back hair.

"Going to order me a drink then?" She announced he arrival as she leaned on the bar next to him.

"Ah, 7pm exactly. I'm impressed Potter," Draco smirked as he checked his watch not turning to directly face her but instead keeping her gaze locked onto his drink.

"Ever doubtful in me, I see Malfoy," She smirked her own, more subtle, yet still satisfied, smirk.

"I've been raised to doubt people," He sneered into his drink, before ordering Ella one.

"Oh come on, your parents can't be _that_ bad," She laughed as she took her drink off of the bartender, thanking him. Her laughter abruptly stopped and her face dropped when Draco finally turned to face her. A large, swollen, purple and red streaked blue bruise imposing the right hand side of his face, under his eye. Ella let out a small gasp and instincively reached out her hand to touch it but he flinched away from her.

"Are they _really _'not that bad'," He spat, pushing her hand away and turning back to his drink. Ella stood looking at him for a moment, furrowing her brow, wondering what to do for the best. Eventually she turned to the bartender decidedly.

"Do you have a private room we could use please?" She asked, recieving a disaproving eyebrow raise as he jumped to conclusions. Draco, too, looked at her with utter bewilderment.

"Sure, I can get you a room upstairs but I'll have to charge," He said dubiously.

"That's fine," She said shortly, gripping Draco by the forearm as she followed the bartender up the creaky, old stairs, into a small musty room.

"I'll collect payment in the morning," The bartender said before closing the door behind him. Ella perched on the desk, looking at the Slytherin boy expectantly.

"So?" She asked impatiently, knowing Draco wasn't one to go soft on.

"What?" He snapped back at her arsely.

"How did you get the great big fucking bruise on the side of your face?" She said exasperatedly, even thought she knew she had no right to get annoyed at him. In fact, it was ridiculous she was getting annoyed with him. _Oh you little arsehole for getting beaten and not just coming straight out with it_. She needed another drink.

"How do you think?" He spat at her. It was this act of retalliation that made Ella snap out of her foul, self absorbed haze. He was hurting and this was how he showed it, much like her. With a sigh, she stood and walked over to him, resting a gentle hand on his unharmed cheek.

"Did your parents do this to you?" She asked sadly. It had been really crappy growing up without any parents but at least she had always known her parents had loved her unconditionally. Hell, they gave their lives for her and her brother. "Draco?" He pushed away, turning away from her.

"My dad gets angry sometimes," He said quietly, the smug, tough bully disappearing and a vulnerable little boy taking his place. Ella stayed silent, but put a reassuringly hand on his shoulder, urging him to continue, "It's not often, just sometimes he snaps at me, like today when I he found a bottle of muggle alcohol in my room. He doesn't like me mixing with muggles at all. He thinks it's wrong," He voice trailed off.

"You did nothing wrong, okay? Enough's said by the fact he's more worried about how it's not magical than it's alcohol and you're fifteen. Stay here tonight," She instructed, his back still to her.

"I know, you don't need to baby me," He snapped.

"I'm not babying anyone," She said feeling fustrated, "Come on let's have another drink," She offered, deciding this would be a lot easier for both of them if she was drunk. There was something about Draco that led her off the rails and she knew it wasn't healthy but since when were rebounds healthy?

"First decent thing you've said all night," He snided, pouring himself an extra large class, shotting it back.

"I'm trying to help you Draco, you don't always need to be a dickhead you know?" Ella took he glass he poured her and shot it back herself.

"I'm a Malfoy, being a dickhead's part of the job description," He sneered sarcastically.

"I don't believe it and neither do you," She said, taking another drink and pulling out a cigarette. After a long silence whilst they both finished off their drinks and ciggarettes, Ella spoke up again, "You know you don't have to be around them and do what they want," She said thoughtfully although her own head was now quite cloudy, "you can always leave,"

"You Gryffindors and thinking you can do whatever you want," He scoffed, "Where would I even go?"

"Any friends that would take you in?"

"Not any that aren't too scared of my father to do so," He said bitterly, his disdain for his father apparent.

"Then get a job so you can pay for somewhere when you're not at school," Ella offered.

"You just don't get what it's like with them. I'm trapped; there's no way out," He sneered down at her.

"That's exactly it, Draco. I know exactly what they're like and what they're capable of. When I lived with Igor I saw and heard about some of the things they did and were planning and _that_ is why I'm so keen for you to get out," She pleaded with him, sinking onto the grotty, hotel bed, completely unlike the ones they'd occupied the previous weeks. This really must be a budget room.

"What _did _you see?" Draco asked, intrigued, also sitting on the bed next to her._  
_

"It doesn't matter," She tried to shrug it off but Draco was nothing if not persistent- apart from maybe smug, yes Draco had this quality to always appear very smug, without fail.

"Yes it does," He insisted, "I told you this," He gestured to his bruise, "So at least tell me that,"

"It really doesn't matter, it was just various rebelions and muggle attacks and things,"

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot," He exclaimed, his outburst very out of character, he was normally so cool and indifferent about everything. "Your trial, that's why I asked to see you. I'm sorry, with all this I forgot to ask,"

"Well, it was pretty shit to be honest," She slurred, giving a bitter laugh.

"I gathered as much from what father said. Well, he said it went well which means it must have been pretty shit for you," He spat, "So what happened?" Ella sighed, this was the question she'd been hoping to avoid but now it was here and she'd had the good half of half a bottle of firewhisky, she couldn't see why to lie. Whilst she owed Draco Malfoy no explanation, she also realised she wouldn't really care if he ran off in disgust and never talked to her again.

"I may as well tell you seen as its bound to get out at some point," She grimaced at the thought, "Karkaroff had told his lawyer more than I'd banked on, made me out to be some desperate, lying crank and proved his point when he outed my past job as a stripper, which I'd denied but he had the papers to prove it and used the line "If she lied about this what else is she lying about," She clenched her fists angrily.

"Wow, you're meaning to tell me you used to be a _stripper_?" He asked disbelievingly.

"That's not the worst of it," She said, it now being her turn to spit out her words bitterly. His eyes were wide and disbelieving and it was obvious he wasn't going to say a word in fear of missing this big next revelation, "I returned to court and told him I would tell him the truth, the whole truth," Her eyes glazed over, "I told him of how when I stayed at Igor's, I didn't stay for free like we made out I did,"

"But I thought you had no money," Draco drawled, sounding very confused, which was something he hated above Harry Potter.

"I didn't," She said shortly.

"But then how did you pay?"

"Igor always had a lot of..._friends..._ round when I first got there,"

"Death Eaters?"

"Yes...I think. While he was there, he used to hold sort of- not meetings but I wouldn't call them parties either- let's call them gatherings. Anyway, before he left to go back to Durmstrang, he told me that there was going to be some of his friends visiting every now and then whilst he was away and when they came, I would have to see to them and keep them entertained in _any_ way they please or I would be out flat on my arse," She shrugged.

"So you slept with them?" He scoffed incredulously.

"Yes, that's how I slept with those two of your father's friends. Now you know my big dirty secret but for Merlin's sake, please don't spread it round the school,"

"Yeah yeah," He waved his hand dismissively, "So you're little black book is actually partially a client book?" He sneered. The conversation carried on for a while about their lives and how generally crappy they were. That was the awful thing about Malfoy for Ella; although they always had something to talk about, it was never happy, always crappy news or depressing stories. This contrasted greatly with the effect Fred had on her. He mellowed her demons out a bit and always made her feel happy and as though she couldn't stop smiling and she missed it. As per, after more talking, drinks and cigarettes, they ended up sleeping together, as disconnectedly and as unemotionally attached as always. It didn't send chills up her back or ignite her skin, or even leaving her screaming out, it was just something to keep her occupied. To wean her off that amazing feeling she got with Fred because she wasn't ever going to find it with anyone else again.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"I need to go," Ella sat up, wrapping the covers around her as she did so.

"Not staying for a bit longer? Nothing I can do to tempt you?" Draco drawled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back towards him, nipping and licking her neck seductively.

"No, I _really_ need to go now. Remus is going to kill me," She groaned as she checked her watch, which revealed it was now rising 1 o'clock in the morning. She knew it wasn't Remus that was going to kill - he didn't even know she was out- but it was Sirius. Sirius was going to kill her when he smelt the alcohol on her breath. Hopefully, he'd already gone to bed by the time she got home so she had time to sleep it off and brush her teeth.

Reluctantly, he released his grip of her, watching her hungrily as she got dressed. Shooting a final look at the Slytherin, she left the room, closing the door behind her, returning to the now nearly empty pub downstairs and waved farewell to the bartender, telling him to charge the boy upstairs for the room.

Quietly, Ella opened the front door of Grimmauld Place and tiptoed in as inaudibly as possible. Just as she reached the foot of the stairs, as she thought she was safe, the kitchen door flung open violently.

"Trying to sneak past eh?" Sirius leaned on the doorframe, raising an eyebrow indignantly.

"I was just going to bed, didn't want to wake you," She slurred, catching hold of the banister to steady her swaying.

"Kitchen, now," He took her by her shoulder and guided her there before handing her a large class of water, "drink this, lots of it," He instructed firmly as Ella rested her head on the glass he had given her, looking as though she was about to doze off. She heaved herself of the glass, flopping her weight to the back of her chair before downing her water, making it all look like a huge amount of effort. "I thought you stopped the drinking like this?" Sirius questioned, concern written all over his face.

"No, it's not that," Ella slurred, leaning on Sirius now, "I just went out to meet someone and they were drinking so I did as well,"

"Who did you meet?" Sirius asked dubiously, hoping that he might have more luck in finding out more now she was drunk. It was wrong to take advantage of her state but his curiosity and concern got the best of him.

"D...Dra..." She slurred before dropping off to sleep on his shoulder. Bloody brilliant, he didn't get to find out _and _he had a passed out, drunk girl on his shoulder now. It had been a long time since he'd been in this position and last time it hadn't ended with him gently carrying the girl to bed then going back to his own bed on his own.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

When Ella arouse the next day, it was around noon and her head felt as though there was a little man in there, bashing it in with a hammer. Groggily, she took the hangover tonic to clear her head before heading off to the expansive house library, to find something new to read. Deep within the rows and rows of books, Ella ran an outstretched finger over the spines of countless books, looking for one to pick her interest. Normally she wasn't much of a reader but this summer she'd found it a good pass time since she'd become sober enough to do so.

Finally, a copy of the Muggle book, Pride and Prejudice, caught Ella's eye and she pulled it out and flipped it round to read the back. All of a sudden, she heard a noise in the normally otherwise empty library and looked through the gap where the book she'd just picked up had been, to see the back of a tall, familiar ginger mophead. She let out a little gasp and dropped the book in her surprise. Quickly, she turned and ran out of the library at full speed and hurried to the kitchen, where Sirius just looked at her with a bemused expression.

"Coffee?" He offered, pouring her a glass as she nodded her thanks. "You look like you've seen a ghost," The fugitive teased.

"I think I have," Ella panted into her coffee, her hands still trembling as she felt as though her whole body had gone into shock.

"Hahaha, what?" He laughed disbelievingly.

"I think I need help Sirius," She shook her head despairingly, "It's going to sound like I'm losing it- and maybe I am- but I thought I saw Fred. How mad is that?!" She explained.

"Ah..." He sucked his teeth hesitantly, "You weren't seeing anything, he _is_ here," He winced, waiting for the explosion that was bound to come.

"You what?" She said in a low voice.

"Well, all the Weasleys are moving in for the rest of the year, Fred just came early to try and talk to you to straighten things out before everyone comes. Dumbledore reckons it's safer for them all. The rest of them will be here soon and Hermione will arrive tomorrow," He said sheepishly.

"SIRIUS!" She yelled, hitting him on the arm. "I am _not_ speaking to him at all," She fumed.

"Well you're going to have to face him sometime," He reasoned.

"No I'm not," She stood abruptly, making a beeline for the front door. Sirius, however, was hot on her heels and slammed the door shut before she could barely open it.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said quietly, careful as not to alert Fred.

"I'm going to go check back into the Leaky Cauldron,"

"No, you're staying here. Remus is your legal gaurdian and if he needs he can make you stay with him. We care about you Ella so we will do anything we need to keep you safe," He said with an out of character sterness. Sirius was usually the one to help her sneak out rather than forbid it.

"Fine," She hissed, "I'm going to my room and don't expect to see me out of it. Send Kreature up with my meals," She pushed past the older man, huffing up the stairs, to her room.

Ella had just reached her room, at the end of the long corridor, with its double bed in the middle, with its red and cream patchwork quilt, when she felt a hand catch her wrist; a hand that managed to send tingles through her before she even saw its owner.

"Fred," She sighed resignedly.

"Please, El, I just want to talk to you," He almost whispered, his lips inches from her ear, "Please,"

"No, I can't," She sighed pulling away from against all her wishes and what her body was telling her. Her body longed for his touch and she feared that if she turned to face him, he would be able to see it in her eyes.

"Why?" He insisted, not releasing his hold of her, albeit gentle. "Just tell me why,"

"I just can't," She sighed, hanging her head in shame, "Please Fred, just let me go," He too sighed and obliged, but what he couldn't work out was whether she meant for him to let go purely physically or whether she meant for him to let go of her altogether. To let go of all the hope that he still held that they would still one day, however far in the future it may be, be able to be together again. The thing was though, that she didn't know what she meant either. She knew she didn't want to talk to him, but she didn't know whether it was because she actually didn't or whether she just wanted to avoid anymore hurt. Why couldn't it just be easy like it was in the movies she'd watch. They'd become friends, they'd have a little insignificant argument, they'd make up, get back together and then live happily ever after, end of. It was so simple, but as Shakespeare once said, the course of true love never ran smooth.


	40. A Night to Forget part 1

**Hi, sorry for the awfully long time to update, this chapter just didn't seem to want to be written. I'm also back at school now so updates won't be as frequent because 'this is the important year for exams' blah blah blah but I'll try my best especially for you lot. Warning: Contains drug use and graphic violence and I would just like to say I don't support nor encourage drug use but I'm not ignorant to the fact it does go on. Happy reading and remember to review as the recent lack has been very disappointing**

**xoxo -C**

Sure enough, later that day, the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione had arrived and the once peaceful house was now in chaos, with Mrs Weasley shouting at the twins, what seemed like constantly for whatever pranks they were trying to pull, and shouting back of the twins and protesting about the excessive amount of cleaning they were being forced to do. Oh how Ella dearly longed for the quiet days of earlier that summer, when she pottered around all day, reading in the library and wallowing in her own thoughts, all finished off with a night cap with Sirius.

Now she spent most the time in her room, with the door locked, trying to block out the mayhem of the lower floors. Even most meal times she had Kreature bring up her food on a tray, in an attempt to avoid facing her ex boyfriend. She hadn't spoken to him since the day he'd arrived before the rest of his family and stopped her outside of her room, the previous week. It was all very awkward between them. George had come to see her on occasion and Ginny and Hermione were often found with her, indulging in a bit of girly gossip on an evening, drinks in hand. Oops, so she was a bad influence on the younger girls but it wasn't like they hadn't drank before; they'd both been drunk at the party after the first task. Hermione was going into 5th year and Ginny 4th. When you compared it to the things Ella had done by their age, a light drink that didn't even get them drunk was nothing. Hermione tended to be a bit more cautious but Ginny was the type of girl if she wanted to drink and smoke, she would so there was no point in Ella denying her. She stubborn, just like Fred.

One evening, Ella had just asked Kreature to bring her dinner up to her room when there was a knocking at the door.

"Ella?" Sirius' voice came from the other side. She quickly got up to let the man in. Over the summer they had become quite close. Not in a fatherly or even romantic way, just as good friends...if you could call them that. He came into the room and sat on the end of her bed whilst she reassumed her crossed legged position at the head of it. "I saw Kreature preparing your dinner but I was hoping you would come down and join the rest of us tonight," He ventured, careful not to upset. Ella sighed heavily.

"Sirius, you know I can't. It's too hard," she gave another defeated sigh, leaning back on the headboard, cradling her head in her hands.

"hey, shh" he soothed her, rubbing her gently on the arm, "I know but there's someone here you might want to see," He gave a mischievous grin.

"who?" She said disapprovingly, not being arsed with his antics. Sometimes she felt as though she was the one minding him, not the other way round.

"Well Remus will be here tonight and several members of the order," He listed on his fingers. Ella had become quite involved with the order since staying at the headquarters and had become maintenances with many of the members," Oh and Harry's coming," He added casually. Ella's jawed dropped, she couldn't believe how easily she had forgotten about her brother. Sure she'd had a lot going on but not _that_ much. She wasn't busy enough to excuse forgetting her brother, her only living relative.

"Shit," She cursed, "I can't believe I haven't spoken to him all summer. I feel so bad!" She exclaimed, the news that was meant to cheer her up just causing more stress. She should be happy but for some reason, she wasn't. The only person she felt like facing was the one that was already in her room. Even the idea of seeing Remus wasn't making her jump for joy. It took a lot of energy to constantly plaster a false smile on her face for him. She would hate him to see her so unlike her usual self -well previous self, this defeatist, bland person she'd become had become the norm- even though she was sure he wasn't by the charade.

"You're not the only one," It was now Sirius turn to sigh, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Dumbledore's been making us all not communicate with him. He wants him out of the wizarding world for a while,"

"What?" Ella spluttered, "You've got to be kidding me. Dumbledore's purposely been excluding him and making him feel cut out, like he's got no friends...and after what he went through!" She exclaimed, livid. "It wasn't _just_ me who saw their friend get murdered a few months ago you know. Harry did too and he was closer to Cedric!"

"I know, I didn't like it at all when I was told either," The pain of cutting out his godson evident in Sirius' voice, but Ella was too furious to notice.

"You knew and you did nothing?" She turned on him.

"What can I do?" He said, his own temper rising. Although they got on famously, both Ella and Sirius had too fiery tempers for either one to ever back down. "I'm a fugitive stuck in this shit hole of a house with absolutely no use or power. I haven't been out since I went to fetch you and my pollyjuice supply is running low," He pulled at his hair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think," Ella crawled over to him and nestled into his lap.

"It's fine, I don't expect you to. Just know that I hate what I've had to do to Harry more than anything," He sighed before adding, "We best go down, Molly's got dinner ready and it sounds as if your brother's arrived," He stood up, pulling Ella up after him. There sounded like a lot of shouting just below them- Ella's room being on the second floor(third in America)- coming from Ron, and now Harry's, room. "I'll go see your brother, you coming?"

"Nah, I'll see you downstairs," She gestured for him to go. She couldn't face her brother, she felt too guilty. All she wanted to do was run away to another country where no one knew her or anything about her and she could start again, this time with her inheritance. Why couldn't she? She'd done it before, she was very apt in speaking French, Italian and was learning Greek so she could move almost anywhere with little hastle and she could do it all with enough money to buy herself ad supply food until she found a job. Who needed school anyway? She'd now been to all the wizarding schools in Europe so going to another school was out of the question.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Dinner had been an awkward affair. They were't used to the presence of Ella any more and she didn't feel like chatting and laughing along like she used to. She couldn't be bother. It was too much effort, so she pushed her food around her plate a bit, the guilt of not even acknowledging her brother all summer putting her off of her food. He was annoyed with her, she knew it. He kept sending glares down down to the far end of the table, where she was sat with Tonks and Sirius. She had always liked tonks and had previously found her good fun to be around but right now she couldn't find the energy or effort to have fun. All she felt she had the energy to do was shut herself off in a room and get off her face.

"Cheer up, it might never happen," Tonks teased cheerfully. Ella just looked around blankly as the young woman pulled her out of her trance, before seeming to come to slightly and stood up clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, if I may be excused," With a flick of her, she sent her dish into the sink, where it started cleaning itself. She really was greatful for not having the trace on her at times, even for little mundane tasks like these, "Thanks for the meal Mrs Weasley," She smiled weakly at the middle aged woman and turned to leave the room.

Upstairs, she sat down at her mahogany desk in her bedroom and placed her head in her hands, pinching the bridge of her nose, her mind flooding with thoughts of Fred. Why couldn't she just forget about him? Merlin knows it would much easier. After thinking for a while, she decidedly pulled out a quill and spare bit of parchment and started writing.

_Draco,_

_I need to get out this house. The whole Weasley clan plus Hermione and Harry are all staying here and I need a drink or ten. Let me know what you're doing,_

_Ella_

She went in search for Sirius' owl but it was no where to be seen. She then checked around the house for any owl and eventually she gave up and went to her brothers room to use Hedwig as the others were all still downstairs chatting freely now the elephant in the room- Ella- had retired from the tflable. Securing the short note to the owls foot, she opened the window and watched as Hedwig flew off into the night sky.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

After dinner, Sirius sat at the long kitchen table, smoking a cigarette and drinking a glass of firewhisky, whilst the rest of the house were busying themselves elsewhere, when one of the Weasley twins walked in. He had never been sure which was which and never understood how people, like Ella, could.

"Hey, is it alright if I join you?" The twin asked from the door. Sirius nodded at held a hand out to the seat opposite him, which the boy took.

"Anything troubling you?" Sirius asked the redhead as he took a drag from his fag.

"Well...it's nothing," He stuttered but Sirius only raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, "Okay, it was just that I was wondering how Ella was doing, like generally, because she just seems really, well...different," He hesitated. Ah, Sirius thought, so it was Fred, Ella's ex boyfriend.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Sirius said staring into his drink as he swirled it around, "at the beginning of summer she was a mess. Drinking around the clock with no break, cutting all her hair off and dying it and just generally giving up on everything. It was like she couldn't be bothered with anything, she still can't much but she's better than she was. She's stopped the drinking so much but she's still shutting herself off from a lot of things and people," He sighed defeatedly. Fred's face drained of colour, he had noticed she had lost a lot of weight so she was now looking unhealthily skinny, and that she wasn't brilliant but he hadn't thought she had gotten that bad. Sirius saw the look on the young boy's face and understood the emotion in his eyes. It was one of selfless sadness and desperation. An emotion that only loving someone could bring out. "Do you still love her?" Sirius asked, breaking the tense silence. Fred nodded.

"Never stopped," He admitted, staring at the table, unable to bring himself to make eye contact. He felt ashamed of how much he needed her. This time last year he had never been with the same girl for much more than a few weeks and after it was over, he'd move on and find another shag within a matter of days. Between him and his twin, they were the prankers of Hogwarts and with their good looks, they had almost any girl they wanted at the their beck and call. Every girl, it seemed, other than the one _he _wanted. _  
_

"Try talking to her again, she still loves you," Sirius said simply as though it was the easiest thing in the world.

"But I want her to be happy and I'm not sure me pursuing her will really help that," He shrugged, his shoulders slumped in miserable defeat.

"She's not going to be happy without you," Sirius countered, causing Fred's heart to soar and his stomach to do nervous but excited flips. After a long, pregant pause, Fred spoke.

"Do you know if she's seeing anyone else?" Fred asked uncertaintly, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. Sirius sucked his teeth and answered hestitanly.

"Honestly? Yes," he sighed before continuing, "But does he make her happy? no. Every time she comes back from meeting up with this mystery guy, she's off her face drunk and shuts herself off in her room for the next day. Whoever he is, he brings out her demands and I don't like it one bit," Sirius said finally but just as Fred was about to reply, their conversation was cut short by various order members coming, bustling into the room, for the meeting.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Around a half hour later, Ella heard a tapping at the window and let Hedwig back into her room, receiving an affectionate nip as she took the letter she held.

_See you at inside out at 10_

_\- D xx_

Inside Out was the trendy, muggle club, packed with drunken youths, mainly muggle, who were all just looking for fun, that they had taken to going to together during their stay at the Leaky cauldron. She couldn't wait. Not for the company so much, but more for the stiff drink or ten that she was going to order and drink in under 5 minutes.

A soft knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and she stood from where she'd been lounging on her bed with Boots the kitten curled up with her. She pulled on the brass door handle, speaking.

"Ah Sirius, I was just about to find y..." She stopped abruptly, taken aback to see not the familiar, older, dark haired man but instead to see her gorgeous, redheaded ex boyfriend, who had gotten broader shoulders and more toned over the summer. "Fred?" She stammered. He was stood with a serious expression on his face, holding a plate of peanut butter sandwiches.

"Can I come in, we need to talk," He stated more than asked and just walked past the girl regardless of her answer. She stood, gaping at him, unsure of what to say, "You didn't eat anything at dinner and you've lost a lot of weight since I last saw you," He explained before handing over the plate of peanut butter sandwiches, saying, "I knew they're your favourite," He smiled that irresistable, heart warming lopsided grin that made Ella melt, even after this time. Dam, why did have to be so bloody charming with that smile and remembering her favourite foods.

"Thanks but I'm not hungry," She took the plate and put on the bedside table.

"You need to eat, Elle," He looked very serious, an emotion Fred Weasley never really showed. She was getting increasingly impatient with him. Who did he think he was, coming swaning in and making decisions on her dietry habits? True, she'd dropped down to nearly 8st which was very unnatural for her height and natural curvy build. She'd lost most of her libidinous curves which had gone in and out in just the right places and was looking very hollow and tired most the time. Every moment he spent banging on about her diet was just delaying her drink that was waiting for her with her name on.

"I might later," She said shurgged awkwardly, not quite sure how to take this privacy with Fred. A few months prior, they'd have taken the opportunity of this rare privacy to be intimate but now they'd never felt more distant. It was like, all she wanted to do was just let her gaurd down and just talk and laugh with him like old times, but she couldn't. She couldn't let herself get hurt like that again.

~~~~~C~~~~~~

After she'd finally managed to get rid of Fred, Ella had changed into a tight fitting, backless short black dress with tasteful silver hoop earrings and a matching necklace. She then straightened out her hair and fringe, which were growing at a very quick rate, with her wand and slung on a pair of platform, stiletto black heel and a matching clutch, before heading downstairs to let Remus and Sirius know where she was going and what time she'd be back- one of Sirius' new rules to stop her from supposedly going wild. It was now nearing half ten and the club didn't open until 11 so she decided to quickly pop downstairs into the Order meeting.

"Hey," She poked her head round the door of the order meeting, cautiously tottering in towards her late father's two best friends.

"Where you going dressed like that? You look about 20," Remus shook his head with a chuckle at how conceiving looks could be. It's scary how old teenage girls can make themselves look. If he ran into her in whilst he was out in a bar, and didn't know her or the fact she was only sixteen, he wouldn't have thought twice about brining her home with him.

"Erm, sorry to interrupt," She looked sheepishly at the rest of the group before turning back to Remus and Sirius, "that's what I came to tell you, I'm going out to that muggle club, Inside out, and should be back by midnight," She flashed one of her most charming smiles at them both, implicitly begging them to give in and give her permission even though she'd still go out regardless whether she'd been allowed or not. She was sixteen years old, and very independent for a year, and sadly for Remus, that meant she knew what she wanted and when she wanted it, she got it through sheer stubbornness.

"Hmm...okay," Remus looked hesitant but Sirius jumped into Ella's rescue.

"You can go as long as you're back by 12, no later, and just don't get too drunk," He warned with a wink.

"I won't, you can send out the search parties if I'm not back by half past," She teased before thanking them both and waved goodbye to the rest of the order members sat around the table before leaving.

"You're going to let her go out dressed like _that_," Snape sneered from the opposite end of the table, where, until now, he'd been say quietly having very little input.

"I thought she looked fine," Sirius snapped back defensively, Remus backing him up all the way.

"_You_ would," He sneered again, "We all know the type of girls you used to go for when you were that age and they were all dressed in skimpy dresses and plastered in make up."

"Shut up you git," Sirius seethed, his anger drowning any sense in him.

"By implying that Ella looks like a tart, you're also implying that her mother, Lily -remember her Snivilus? -also looked like one, seeing as they're practically identical," Remus pointed out intelligently, still level headed.

"I'm not saying anything about Lily," He spat venomously, "and I'm not saying she dresses like a tart, I'm saying she dresses like a whore, oh wait, she was one," He sneered with a sly, satisfied grin as Sirius lunged for him, only to be restrained by Arthur and Remus. Sirius, who's normally pale complexion was now sheet white as he shook with rage, shaking the two men off of his arms, gave one last deathly glare before storming out of the room.

"Now if we're done acting like a bunch of kids with raging hormones, may we continue?" Alastair Moody said sarcastically.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The muggle club, just around the corner -all relative to the size of London- to Grimmauld Place- smelt strongly of vodka and cannabis. The familiar smell of the drug assaulted her nostrils pleasurfully. She loved the smell of it and, dare she admit it, she missed. Searching through the packed club, she saw the platinum blonde hair she had been looking for.

"Mines a double vodka and coke," She announced her arrival the usual way, listing her order to Draco for him to buy for her. It made her laugh that she, somehow, actually seemed to have some form of authority over the, usually wicked, Slytherin boy.

"You heard the lady," He said to the tall, handsome bartender -who Ella gave an appreciative look up and down, sending him a wink when he caught her looking- and he handed over the money saying for him to keep the change. It was things like that which actually tended to grind on people about boys, and girls, like Draco. Those filthy rich purebloods that flaunted their money by not wanting change back from a £20 when the drink only cost around £5. All Ella could think about was how she could buy another three drinks with that change and get completely, and blissfully, wasted.

An awkward silence enstilled between the two of them, whilst Ella, waiting for her drink, was immersed in thoughts and images of Fred and how amazing it would be to feel his touch again; to be wrapped up in his arms and kissed until she passed out. She knew she was just being silly and torturing herself with these wishful fantisies as in reality it would, quite simply, never work. Actually, there was nothing simple about it. She and Fred would never work because it was all too complicated and she wanted something simple and easy. Why couldn't everything be easy, then she'd be happy.

Finally, her drink was ready and it was downed in half the time it took to make. With a loud sigh, she slammed the glass back on the table, reveling in the burning sensation down the back of her throat and waiting longingly for the numbing effect of the alcohol to kick in.

"Thirsty Potter?" Draco sneered at her, just like he had when they'd first met. It was many things about Draco that both infuriated her and left her gobsmacked. He was a dickhead -or at least always acted like one- through and through.

"Is that an offer to get me another?" She prodded fun at him, earning her a scowl.

"I'll get you another," A ruuged, handsome, broad shouldered man, with dark hair, large biceps and a lot of stubble offered, "What you having?"

"A double vodka," She smiled at him flirtatiously, "Straight please," She added, causing her to receive a wink from the handsome stranger. Once again, on receiving her drink, Ella gulped in down within a matter of seconds.

"Ah, hardcore eh?" He smiled devilishly. Ella through her head back and laughed, even if it was a forced one, it had done as she had intended and captivated him. "So my my little rebel," The man slung his arm lazily around her shoulders, "Do you fancy coming for a joint?" He asked nonchalantly, as though what he had just proposed wasn't completely illegal. Ella looked between Draco's sour, now angry, face and the handsome one of the stranger.

"Ella," Draco said in a low, warning, voice, "You don't know this man at _all. _You don't even know his name, don't be stupid," He sneered. Who did he think he was telling her what to do? and calling her stupid! She was livid, but then again the kicking in drink was intensifying this hate she now felt towards the Slytherin boy. Being as stubborn as she was, she blatantly ignored him and turned around so as she was facing for the tall dark haired stranger for the first time.

"Hi, I'm Ella," She stuck her hand out, not caring how weird she was seeming, but thankfully for her -or unthankfully depending how the night would wear on- he cottoned on to what she was doing and humoured her, rather than just looking at her as though she was some physcopath who'd escaped from the mental health clinic at St Mungos.

"Daniel," He shook her hand before pulling her back to his side by wrapping an arm around her waist, causing Draco to glare so hard, he looked at though the vein in in his forehead was about to explode

"You go off with him and I'm leaving," Draco said all too seriously, "You can be an idiot but you'll be doing it on your own," he really was such a kill joy, it was only a bit of fun.

"See 'ya," She chimed in a falsely sweet voice, "don't wait up for me babe," She cooed after him.

"Bitch," He muttered as he shook his head, stalking away. Ella looked after a very arsey Draco, wondering what on Earth was his problem tonight, whilst Daniel on the other hand had thrown his head back and let out a loud bark of laughter.

"So you coming?" He prompted the younger girl -not that he had any idea of her age- and she deliberated. Fleetingly, she thought back to Sirius and Remus back at home, waiting for her, expecting her back in just over an hour, and she would be high as a kite. No, screw them all, tonight was about her for once and letting her hair down properly. Yes, she was going to go with this stranger because it felt good to be impulsive, or was that just the drink?

**So that's part one of this chapter completed, drop us a private message or a review and let me know what you think, thanks x**


	41. A Night to Forget Part 2

"So you coming?" Daniel, the ruggedly handsome stranger, asked her. The high level of alcohol now in her system obliterated her common sense and caution. Between seeing her brother again after pretty much forgetting about him, Fred coming into her room and acting as though he still cared and Draco being a boring arsehole - considering it was usually him that drove her off the rails- she just wanted to let lose and prove to everyone she wasn't some stupid little girl who could be told what to do. She was her own person and would do as she wanted, even if she had to get high to prove it.

Ella followed the man through the crowd, to a small yard out the back, which smelt overpoweringly of weed, with a large group of people, predominantly men. The court yard was very cramped and had very few seats left, so when Daniel sat down, he pulled Ella onto his lap and began to roll up a joint.

"Here," He purred into her ear, tucking her hair to the other side of her head, as he placed the joint between her lips to light it. Once it was lit, she took a long drag of it before passing it on around the circle that had gathered around them. She suddenly felt a lot less tense, not that she had been much in the first place thanks to the alcohol. Various roll ups, stuffed with various different smokable drugs, were passed around and Ella made the most of these free drugs and took long drags of all of them. She pressed herself into Daniel more firmly with her new found, drug induced, confidence, giggling girlishly as he responded by moving his lips to graze her neck lightly.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

There weren't many order members left when Sirius re-entered the kitchen as it was rather late, nearing half twelve in the morning. Those left included, Molly and Arthur (obviously), Remus, Tonks and -to Sirius' dismay and anger- Severus Snape.

"What are you still doing here?" Sirius growled as he entered. Snape just raised an infuriating eyebrow with a bemused smirk.

"Did you never get taught any manners when it came to hospitality?" Snape sneered. Remus, not wanting Sirius to lose his temper again, called his best friend over to where he and Tonks were sat over a glass of mead each.

"Is Ella home yet?" Remus asked with a smile, anxious to get the conversation topic diverted away from Snape.

"No, that's why I came down," Sirius looked very serious (excuse the pun), which was a rare event for him, as he continued, "I think we should go and look for her,"

"It's only been half an hour, she might just've let the time slip her mind," Remus said breezily, trying not to sound too worried as to not wind his friend up further.

"No, she's always back by the time she says," This made Remus look more alarmed, "I really think we need to go find her,"

"Well you can't go," Snape snapped from the bottom of the table. Sirius just glared at him, refusing to respond and just looked back at Remus.

"I'll lead the way, okay?" Remus nodded as Sirius changed into his canine form and trotted off urgently towards and out the front door.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella had lost all recollection of time by now. All she knew was how sick and light headed she was beginning to feel after what must've been at least her 3rd joint, she wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure of what she'd even took. The laid back, chilled sensation that the drug had given her at the start had now gone and was starting to be replaced by anxiety. Daniel, who's arm was still snaked tightly around her waist, as though he was claiming her as his possession, despite only knowing him for a couple of hours, leaned into her and, whispering, asked if she wanted to go back into the club. Still in a daze of drug induced confusion, Ella took his hand and followed him.

The heavy beats of the songs, pulsed through the floor, sending vibrations up her legs, as they danced somewhat erotically, with the Daniel holding Ella's currently skinny hips, holding them firmly to his as they moved. After Merlin knows how many songs, he stopped dancing and spun her to face him, so as their faces were inches away, the stale smell of beer and cannabis heavy on his breath.

"Come with me," He whispered, in his gruff voice, with his thick London accent, taking her hand and leading to a quieter corner of the club, opposite the entrance. Removing his hand from hers, he grabbed a tight hold of his waist and pushed her against the wall, kissing her roughly. Ella didn't know whether she particularly was happy about the way the night was unfolding but she was concentrating too much on not throwing up to really think of anything. His kisses were rough and almost painful, his wandering hands an unwanted nuisance but she didn't have the strength do to do anything other than lean against the wall she was backed up onto, for support. She wanted him to stop but couldn't make him. No matter how much she squirmed, she didn't have the strength to push the bulky man away from her. The anxiety she had been feeling earlier was doubling at an alarming rate. Oh god, how she wished she'd just listened to Draco and stayed drinking with him.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

"Quickly Padfoot," Remus hissed as they drew closer to the club, the pounding music being able to be heard from a fair few streets away. Sirius, after throwing as best an eye-role as a dog could at Remus, stepped up his pace, beelining for the club that he had been to many a night in his day, when he was young, free and not on the run from the law.

After what felt like an age, as it always done when under time pressure and there is possible danger involved, the man and the animagus reached the entrance to the lively club. Remus pushed his way through the crowds outside of the door, only to realise the dog was still following him.

"Padfoot! What are you doing?" He snapped at his friend. "Stay out here or you'll get yourself into trouble," He said sternly. Sirius looked hesitant, again as much as a dog could, so Remus added, "I'll go in, find her and bring her out in a matter of minutes, okay?" Sirius gave up and trotted off to the curb, where he perched himself, keeping his eye trained on the entrance of the door, as he watched his best friend go in, awaiting him to return with late best friend's daughter.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

Ella kept squirming under the forceful and intruding hold of Daniel, as his lips assaulted her own aggressively. The room was spinning violently, making her want to throw up there and then. She could feel the stale tasting vomit rising up her throat as she continued to try and find the strength to push him off of her. It took the tall, burly dark haired man forcing his hand up her short dress, intrusively for her instinct to kick in strong enough for her to push him away determinately. She heard the laughs of a few people around them and saw that the man was furious at being humiliated. Men and their bloody egos, they caused nothing but trouble.

Daniel's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he advanced towards her once again.

"Is this how you like to play it, eh?" He hissed in her ear, grabbing a hold of one of her slim wrists and pinning it back to the wall. "Like it rough?" He said, jolting her, so as she bashed off the wall painfully.

Desperate, seeing nothing else she could do to save her, Ella took her free hand and swung it at his, slapping him clean across the face. He staggered back, his surprise evident. There was a steady trickle of blood pouring from the cut in his cheek, that she had made with her nails. His face contorted with rage and fury, she took advantage of his slight daze that her protesting had put him in, and made a run for it towards the entrance, where she heard someone calling her name.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~

She had to be in here somewhere. She couldn't have left with anyone yet, could she? Surely she wasn't that stupid. If there was a way of locking teenage girls up and stopping them from getting themselves into trouble, Remus would do it, but, unfortunately for him, there wasn't without being a possessive psychopath. A wave of relief washed over him as he spotted the top of her head over the crowd, opposite him, in a quiet corner. His relief, however, was short lived as he realised that she was with a man, who looked as though he must be at least ten years older than her, was pressed up against her, and rather forcefully at that.

"Ella!" He called out her name, desperately trying to get to her before anything could happen. He called her name again, but this time more frantically as he noticed how she was trying to push the man away from her. Why did she have to be at the opposite side of the room? As he battled through the dancing, drunken crowd, Remus watched as she finally managed to push him away, only for him to advance on her once more, this time even more forcefully. His blood boiled with rage as he looked on in disgust at how the young girl was being treated, being unable to do anything about it with all these rowdy people in the way. After everything she'd been through in the past few months, this was the last thing she needed. He feared it might tip her over the edge that she had been dancing around so close to for months now.

He watched, drawing ever closer, as Ella throw a slap, and quite an impressive one at that, at the drunken, older man. He called her name again and again as she dashed away, her face full of fear and another emotion he couldn't read. As she dashed towards, her still unaware as to who was calling her name, Remus put his arm out and caught her wrist.

Ella let out a sigh of relief as she saw who it was to have grabbed her. She had never been so happy and relieved to see anyone. Just as Remus started pulling her back towards the exit, she heard some call her name from behind. She broke out into a run, terrified of facing the angry sounding voice behind her. The man she'd met earlier, however, was much bigger than both her and Remus and could fight his way through a crowd much more effectively, knocking people clean out of his way. All too soon, he caught up with the pair and grabbed hold of Ella's upper arm, spinning her round to face him. As he did so, a sharp, searing pain shot through her veins, from her stomach, where the blade of his knife sunk into her in one swift, fluid motion. She let out a loud scream of pain as the large man removed the knife as quickly as he had thrust it into her and made a run for it.

If the room had been spinning before, it was now as if she was on an out of control waltzer that wouldn't stop no matter how much she willed it to. She clutched her stomach as she dropped to her knees, feeling a darkness start to engulf her just as she was hoisted over a familiar shoulder.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"What in Merlin's name happened?" Mrs Weasley exclaimed as Remus came clattering through the kitchen shirtless, which appeared to be blood soaked and wrapped around a limp form, which she recognised to be Ella, over his shoulder.

"She was stabbed," Remus panted, Sirius dashing into the kitchen behind him, as he lay the young girl, who was now white as a sheet due to the ridiculous amount of blood she'd lost, on the table. There was a thundering of feet charging down the stairs before the Weasley twins burst through the door. Remus, Sirius, Arther and Tonks quickly stood so as to block the ghastly sight from the new arrivals eyes.

"MUM!" Fred exclaimed, rushing over to his mother, anxious to see what the commotion was all about. "Is Ella alright? She's not in her room and she said she'd be back an hour ago!" He sounded frantic but the note of desperation in his voice couldn't be missed by anyone.

"Go to bed, we'll talk in the morning," Mrs Weasley instructed authoritatively as she clambered about in the cupboards, looking for something to help. She let out a loud fustrated groan as she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Hurry, she's loosing a lot of blood," Sirius hissed urgently. Fred, who had been about to do as he mother said and go to bed, snapped his head around and ran to the table, where the adults where huddled around to see her, but before he could, his father stepped in his path to try and block him from the view.

"What the hell happened?!" He bellowed, fighting against his dad. "Just...let...me...see...her..." he said between vigorous attempts to free himself.

"Fred!" His mother scolded him. "You are being of no use to anyone. If you want to help, go and fetch Professor Snape from the other room will you," She said, moving closer to the unconscious, table top, girl to examine the extent of the injuries. Mrs Weasley had never been trained as a healer but after having seven children, six of which were boys, she'd learnt to patch up various cuts and wounds, but this was far beyond the extent of anything she'd fixed before.

Shortly, Severus appeared at the door, followed closely by Fred. "Fred, go to bed. We'll give you an update in the morning," Mr Weasley instructed but he wasn't going to go without a fight. The last time one of his parents had instructed him to go to bed and leave her, their child died and she eternally hated him now for not being there. However, this time, his father wasn't going to take no for an answer so, begrudgingly, he ascended the stairs to his bedroom with his twin by his side as always. Once the twins were out of earshot Molly took the opportunity to ask Severus about what he thought.

"There's no way she's fit enough to travel to St Mungos," He sighed reluctantly, "I'll see what I can do," He began murmuring incantations as he waved his wand in various different fluid movements, over the severed area of exposed stomach. Snape himself's, face had drained of colour when he saw the state of the young girl. He couldn't help feeling incredibly guilty about the remarks he'd made about her earlier. Lily would've been so disapointed, him bashing her child like that, without a thought other than to wind Sirius up, just like they had been at school.

"What can you do?" Remus asked urgently, ignoring Sirius' disaproving, reproachful glares at Severus. "_Is _there anything you can do?"

"There's a few things I can give a go but I'm not sure how well they'll work," Snape sighed. For many people present in the room at that time, it was the first time they'd ever heard the cocky, arrogant bastard that was Severus Snape, sound uncertain of his abilities. The speed at which a normal night had turned into a catastrophe had shook the whole group. Snape began to wave his wand in various sequences, muttering incomprehensible incantations under his breath.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

After close to half an hour of this, with the whole room waiting in a suffocation silence, breaths all held, Snape stepped away, looking less stressed.

"She's going to be okay," He said quietly, as though he didn't want to jinx it, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of one of his blood covered hands. Everyone breathed a synchronised sigh of relief. Mrs Weasley rushed forward to pull Snape in a tight hug. After he was released by the, close to hysterical, woman, Remus stepped forward with a sheepish Sirius cowarding arrogantly behind him.

"Thanks Severus, we'll never be able to pay you back enough," Remus smiled, never having looked more exhausted than he did at that moment.

"Yeah, thanks," Sirius mumbled, very careful not to show too much gratitude to his life long foe. However, he was just so relieved that Ella was going to be alright. He looked at her unconcious form, lying lifelessly, without the slightest movement, on the long table, which was now drenched in her blood. She was litterally lying in a pool of her own blood. Her skin was a bright white, yet, despite the spatters of blood, looked flawless, almost as though it was made out of porcelain.

Mr Weasley said something about seeing if the twins were awake and, if so, he'd notify them, before leaving the room, whilst Tonks said that she really must leave.

"How about you, Severus?" Molly asked kindly. "Do you want me to put you up a bed for the night?"

"I should probably spend the night keeping a watch over her," He said, his eyes still looking glassy and vacant.

"There's an armchair already in her room," Sirius offered, trying to show a little gratitude without losing face. Being an egomaniac could be such hard work at times.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

After Snape had conjured a stretcher, to carry the fragile girl up to her room, and Mrs Weasley had dressed her down, cleaned her off and changed her into clean bed clothes, the watchful wait began. The seconds soon turned to minutes, the minutes turned to hours and the hours dragged painfully slow. Around 4am, a very groggy, still deliriously drunk Ella awoke with a start.

"What the...fuck," She gasped as she sat up, clutching a hand to her stomach, where she felt the patchwork of her potions master.

"Do you remember what happened?" Snape asked, surveying what sort of state she was in, but it soon became clear there was no proper assessment to be made whilst she was still so blind drunk.

"Why are you in my room?" She slurred calculatingly, eyeing him up and down as he squirmed slightly at her close watch. He didn't reply. Looking at him, eyes half closed, Ella swung her legs over the side of her bed. As she went to stand up, her legs caved under her, in the pain from her stomach. Snape quickly dove in to catch her. She smiled wryly as she looked up to see the close proximity of their faces. Loving the effect she knew she had on him, grasping at any feeling of power she could, she closed the distance between the two of them by numbly pressing her lips onto his, clumsily.

Shocked, Snape quickly parted away from her, forcing her back down on the bed before turning away and looking pensively out of the window. By the time he turned back around she was asleep, or at least passed out, and he couldn't be more thankful. If only she didn't look so dam like her mother, but she did and that's what got to him. Every time she laughed her mother's laugh, his heart soared, and every time her large eyes, just like her mother's, looked sad, his heart broke into a million pieces.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The next morning, Ella awoke to find herself alone in her room. She took time to mull over her very few memories of the night before. They were all hazy but gradually they came back to her, the most vivid one being after she'd woken up and how she treated Snape. He was her potions professor and by acting how she had, she'd been proving Igor's point precisely. Just thinking about it made her feel as though she was about to vomit. Oh no, it was actual vomit she could feel. Oh crap, she tried to swallow it down but she couldn't and before she could try to stand, leaning over the side of her double bed, she spewed up the majority of what she'd ingested in the previous 24 hours.

Looking alarmed, Snape came flying out of her ensuite bathroom, rushing to her side. He patted her back, uncharacteristically reassuringly as she continued to wretch painfully, tears now streaming down her face. Finally, it began to ease and Ella, with the help of Snape, sat back in her bed. Snape whipped out his wand, and with a single wave, the whole mess had been cleared.

"Professor," She said hesitantly, not moving her eyes from where she'd fixed them on the deep scarlet bed sheets. Snape looked up at her curiously, "I'm sorry," She sighed, "I knew how you felt about my mum and, even after you pretty much saved my life, I went and treated you like I did," He couldn't help but feel sorry for the young girl as she lay there, clutching her stomach, and looking as though she was about to cry.

"W...what?" He finally managed to stammer out.

"You know, about last night...I'm sorry," She rubbed where the knife had entered her less than twelve hours previously, as it there was a sharp impulse of pain shooting through her, causing her to wince.

"No, what did you say about your mum?" Snape looked almost angry now. What did _she_ know about how he felt about her mum. She hadn't even been there, so how did she know. She couldn't possibly be talking about what he thought she was, but unfortunately for him, she was.

"I know you loved my mum, Professor," She confessed, turning red, giving her face back its first hint of colour since the accident.

"What?" He repeated, resembling the likeliness of a five year old who had just been told Father Christmas isn't real, five days before Christmas Day.

"I've known you loved my mum, probably still do, since the first lesson I had with you. I remember that look in your eyes when I mentioned her. It took ,e a while to figure out what that look was but once I realised what it was, it was obvious. She was the girl you could never get," Ella said distantly, still not removing her eyes from their trained position.

"I don't think I've ever heard so nonsense," Snape sneered coldly, "How can you be in _love_ with someone who's _dead_," He turned on his heel and went to march out of the room.

"Wait!" Ella called from her bed, looking up at him for the first time with her emerald, gleaming with vulnerability and innocence. "Professor, please!" He turned around slowly to face her, raising a single eyebrow questioningly. "Please can you write to Draco and let him know what happened and tell him I'm alright now?"

"Very well," He drawled shortly, turning to leave the room but he was once again interrupted.

"Oh and Professor," She said timidly, "please could you not tell anyone?" He nodded once again and this time left the room without any interruption.


	42. Final Year Baby!

Chapter 42

The days passed slowly as Ella was on the mend. Snape had put her on bed rest until the day before she went back to school, so as she could get her supplies. He had, undeniably, done a brilliant job healing her that night, and probably saved her life, but she still couldn't help disliking him still, not only because of his reaction to her stating that she knew he loved her mum -which he definitely did, no matter how much he denies it-, but because Sirius, in one of his rants around a week after the accident, let it slip about what he'd said about her.

"That sly little git," She'd hissed only for Remus to remind that he is still her teacher, come September, and she had to still treat him with respect blah blah blah. She loved Remus with all her heart, she really did, but sometimes, just sometimes, he needed to chill out a bit and come join Sirius and herself in the library for a night cap and a fag.

Ella had barely seen anyone other than her late father's best friends, since the accident, as she'd taken to locking her door whenever she was in her room and always pretended to be asleep if there was ever a knock that wasn't accompanied by either Remus or Sirius' soft calling of her name through the door. She'd evening been ignoring George. Fred was understandable, giving their history, but George had always been one of her best friend, but she couldn't even stomach the idea of facing him, never mind anyone else.

She had very little recollection of the events of the other night, but she knew enough from what Remus had told her and before that, she only really remembered before Draco had stormed out. He had, since, written to her to check she was okay and offered to visit her -which of course he couldn't unless Sirius, and the whole Order's headquarters were to be found out- to which she replied saying she'd see him on the train seeing as she couldn't meet up with him whilst she was stuck in this god damn bed. She'd never thought she'd actually been keen for the start of the school term.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

"ELLA!" Sirius hollered, knocking- rather bashing- on her door violently. "You need to get up!" He yelled after not having a reply for the past two hours, when his methods were softer, quieter and probably kinder, but the Hogwarts Express was going to leave the station in an hour and a half and he still was yet to have proof that the teenager was actually awake. Still no reply. "Don't say I didn't warn you," He muttered to himself as pulled out his wand and unlocked the door.

As he walked over to the bed, he saw the girl laid strewn across it, snoring heavily, with an empty bottle of vodka lying, discarded by the side. He tutted, shaking his head. He knew he should have took her seriously when she had said that she was going to get, as she phrased it, off her tits, to calm her anxiety about going back to school and being forced to socialise with everyone again. At Grimmauld place, it had been all too wasy for her to avoid all her friends and those who cared about her, all summer but at school she shared a room, tower or lessons with all these people.

Ella still hadn't awoken and time was really starting to get on. Desperate times called for desperate measures, Sirius reasoned as he conjured a bucket to fill with water. The already bustling house, filled with high pitched, hysterical shrieks as Ella woke up to the harsh splashes of the ice cold water slapping her face.

"What the fuck?!" She yelled so loud that she could almost hear Mrs Weasley cringe as she said it.

"Teach you to drink on a school night," Sirius teased before sauntering out of the room. God he could be an arsehole at times.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

Ella stood between platforms 9 and 10 in Kings Cross Station, dressed it a pair of distressed jeans, a loose fitting checkered shirt and her, now really dark blonde with her natural dark brown roots, hair, just past the shoulder, fell around her shoulders in messy tousled waves. She looked at the large clock, which read 10:45, whilst the rest of the party ran through the barrier. How in Merlin's name the muggles never seemed to notice the hordes of mad people running through solid walls, Ella would never know. It was strange enough to her and she'd grown up around odd wizarding customs.

Finally, after leaving enough time to make sure Hermione, her brother and the whole Weasley clan had dispersed at the other side, Ella took the barrier at a steady jog, with her trolley, as to not attract too much, if any, attention. Whilst she was successful at doing so on the side of the barrier she was formerly stood on, it seemed the second her feet were on the ground of platform 9 and 3 quarters, she heard someone squeal her name before she was engulfed by a familiar pair of arms.

"Oh, Ella! I've been so worried about you," Katie gushed, stepping back, allowing her friend to breath, "I haven't heard from you since the trial," She stopped abruptly, scared she'd brought up a sensitive topic. Alicia was stood behind her, looking all too high and mighty for Ella's liking. She'd always found her irritating but it was as though she suddenly thought she had something over Ella, that made her superior in some way but there was nothing Ella could do about it as she was still, at the end of the day, one of Katie's best friends and, therefore, came as a part of the package, for want of a better phrase.

"Sorry, the summer's just gone so quick," Ella waved her hand dismissively, desperately looking around to find an excuse to leave the conversation, "Sorry, but I need to go..." She trailed off, quickly maneuvering around the crowds of bleary eyed parents, hugging their children and bidding them farewell. Out of the corner of her eye, Ella spotted the familiar platinum blonde head of the slytherin boy and instictively made her way over to where he was stood saying his polite, yet quite cold and unemtional, goodbyes to his parents. She caught his eyes and he sent her a quick wink before turning away and talking to his friends and ignoring her completely. But surprisingly, she didn't even mind all that much. Now a days, Ella quite enjoyed her own company, so she made her way down the compartments, searching for an empty one which she could claim.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

For Fred, the train ride back to school was a pleasant one. Although he obviously still missed his ex girlfriend and wished she was there, he finally felt as though he was coming back to normal since the break up. It was his last school year, and he was going to enjoy it. Other than the whole situation with Ella, everything with the joke shop and their future felt as though it was starting to fall into place. He'd even done as his twin and older brothers had suggested and started seeing a couple of other girls. However, neither of them matched up to Ella. No one probably ever would, but he couldn't force her to love him again, even though he was sure she still did.

"FINAL YEAR BABY!" Lee Jordan announced for what must have been the tenth time that train journey. The of the compartment rolled their eyes, chuckling a little at his eagerness to leave school.

"Stop wishing your life away," Angelina scolded jokingly, but with a serious tone to her voice. Unlike the twins, she had nothing planned for after she left school now and unlike Lee, she'd actually thought out what leaving school meant. It meant growing up, getting a job, taking responsibilities and becoming an adult and she just didn't feel like one yet.

"I can't believe you _all_ get to leave this year," Katie moaned, kicking her shoes off and lounged around on the seat, putting her legs over Lee's.

"Well that's 'cause you're just a little kid," George teased, sending her a wink, causing her to throw one of her discarded shoes at him, which missed and hit Fred instead.

"It's not going to be the same when it's just Me, Alicia and Ella," She continued to grumble.

"Talking of Ella, how is she? I haven't heard from her all summer," Lee asked curiously, mulling over how distant his friend had been. An awkward silence ensued, until Angelina answered eventually, seeing as no one else was jumping at doing so.

"She's err...not brilliant," She shrugged honestly, pausing to try and find the right words, without upsetting Fred as she knew this was still very hard for him, not matter how much he tried to tell everyone he'd moved on.

"What do you mean?" Lee asked ignorantly, absent-mindedly running a casual hand up and down Katie's calve, causing a few raised eyebrows.

"Well, she's gone really skinny, she cut and died her hair pretty drastically, she just looks generally run down and then there's the drinking..." Angelina trailed off, realising she'd probably already said too much and quickly tried to rectify herself slightly. The last thing she wanted was to come across as though she was slagging her best friend off, "You know, she does seem to be getting better but then there was that incident and she hasn't spoken to any of us since,"

"What incident?" Alicia questioned, a bit too bluntly for Angelina's liking. Angelina was just opening her mouth to say she wasn't sure -even though she was- when Fred, taking everyone by surprised, answered instead.

"She was stabbed in a club by a man who was trying to force himself on her," He spat, his seething anger evidently still raging. There was a long and awkward pause but thankfully Lee, desperate to get out of the awkward situation his ignorance had caused, came up with a conversation topic that was always relevant at the beginning of each year, without fail.

"So what do you reckon the new DADA teacher will be like?" Lee asked with a chuckle at the memory of their previous, mostly disastrous, DADA teachers.

"I don't know," George paused, "Can't be much worse than the others," He laughed, "What with the death eater in disguise-"

"-the psychotic, memory stealing, fame obsessed airhead-" Fred continued.

"-the wearwolf, although he was actually decent," George was listing them on his fingers.

"Oh, and you can't forget the one that brough You-Know-Who in on the back of his head," He laughed animatedly, along with the rest of the compartment.

"Do you reckon Dumbledore's ever heard of a CRB check? Or an interview for that matter?" George cried with laughter. They all carried on laughing and chatting away until the train began to slow down as it pulled into Hogsmead.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

Ella trudged along the corridors, amongst the crowds of students that were either ignoring her or simply didn't recognise her without looking properly thanks to her new hair cut. Just as she was about to enter the Great Hall, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and pull her out of the crowd and into an empty classroom. Panic stricken, she instantly began to struggle and call out for help.

"Shut up," The smooth, cool voice of Draco came with a slight chuckle, as he released his hold of her but esuring he still kept his hands resting on her skinny hips, "I just wanted to see how you were," he whispered quietly into the crook of her neck as he stared kissing it.

"Draco," Ella said uncomfortably, "We need to go, people'll notice if we're not in the Great Hall," She pushed him back, before adding kindly, "But I can sit with you if you like? It would be doing me a favour to not have to sit with all the Gryffindors," She offered hopefully. Maybe she could set up a new group of friends and leave the whole of the previous year behind her for good. Sadly, it was not to be.

"I don't think it's good for us to be seen mixing, you know inter house rivalry and all that," he waved his hand dismissively. Despite his poor excuses about house rivalry, although it did have a hint of truth to it, she could tell that wasn't what bothered him, in fact he'd do anything to get at her brother and his friends, he obviously just didn't want to be seen with her. She was his dirty little secret and it made her feel sick. She'd been in this position before and it never ended well.

"See you around, maybe," She snapped irritably, pulling away from him and storming out of the classroom.

In the Great Hall, she sat away from all her friends and stared down at her plate the whole time through the sorting and the feast. Half way through the feast, she dared to look up to where her friends were sitting, only to see Alicia draped tastelessly around Fred, shamelessly flirting with him as she fed him his dinner...yuck! She'd always known there was something about that girl and now she knew what it was, you couldn't trust her as far as you could throw her...and quite frankly with a head inflated _that _large, it wasn't very far at all. Ella, feeling sick to the pit of her stomach, quickly pushed her plate away and swiftly left the room without another look, running up to the Gryffindor tower, where she went straight to bed and was fast asleep before any of her roommates had chance to return.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

"Urgh, will you two get a room," Angelina rolled her eyes, as Alicia rammed another fork full of food off of Fred's plate, down his throat. "I think I'm going to be sick," She gagged slightly, as Alicia giggled like a hyena. Alicia couldn't have looked much more smug if she'd tried. Fred, on the other hand, looked highly uncomfortable and as though he, too, might just be sick, a look which was also mirrored in George's face.

"Licia," Katie warned when she saw Ella look up, but it was too late. Ella had already pushed away her plate and was now striding out the Great Hall, white as a sheet.

"Well done," Angelina hissed at both Fred and Alicia. She was furious, Fred was still meant to be in love with her - although he was slightly excused as it wasn't him behaving like a love sick vacuum on his face and love did make people act in weird ways- but Alicia was meant to be one of Ella's good friends and how she was behaving was inexcusable.

"What?" Alicia pouted as she practically sat on Fred's lap, despite his efforts to push her away after seeing Ella's reaction. Alicia then nudged Fred, who was still staring at where Ella went out of sight, to get him to back her up if an argument broke out.

"I'm saying you're being complete careless arseholes, not giving a shit about Ella and it makes me sick that I could be _friends_ with such people," Angelina slammed down her fork, suddenly not feeling like eating.

"I'm _allowed_ to have another girlfriend," Fred snapped defensively, "and if you remember, _she's _the one that dumped _me_ so I'm free to move on. It's hardly like she won't have done the same," He glared at Angelina, then his twin, looking for some sort of support.

"yeah, we've not done anything wrong. There's no point in denying such strong feelings," Alicia gushed, causing Angelina to roll her eyes as she swallowed down her tea that was threatening to make a reappearance.

"Of course you're allowed to move on," Angelina scoffed, purposely ignoring Alicia's idiotic comments, "Just not flaunting it so blatantly in her face, this soon as well. You were _meant_ to love her, sorry if I was mistaken," Angelina now left the hall as well, in search for her best friend. Fred looked at his twin questioningly.

"Sorry mate, but Ange's right," George sighed, he really hated disagreeing with Fred, "it's all a bit too much, too soon," He shrugged before adding, "We all know how rough a time of it she's been having and we need to help her, not make her feel worse," And with that, George, too left the table, followed by Lee and Katie.

"Ignore them, sweetie," Alicia cooed in Fred's ear. It made him physically cringe, he hated pet names like babe and honey and, most of all, sweetie. They were just so garish and tacky. He also seeing Ella like that, and knowing that it was he alone who'd caused her to feel as though she'd been pushed even further away, made his chest pang, "They're just jealous," She whispered in his eaer, wrapping her arms around him tighter like a bow-constrictor, "How about you and me in one of the broom closets, eh?"

Fred unravelled himself from her grip and muttered something incomprehensible before bolting.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

That night, in the common room after tea, Angelina sat nestling into George's side, on the sofa in front of the fire in a comfortable silence. Katie, Alicia and Lee had already gone to bed, and Fred had just left the common room saying something about a walk, over half an hour ago. Their guesses were that he'd gone to either mull things over in a quite corner of the castle somewhere, or that he'd gone out into Hogsmead to get off his face. Angelina sincerely hoped it wasn't the latter, for everyone's sakes.

"I'm really worried about Ella," She told her boyfriend quietly, as she played with his slackened school tie around his neck.

"me too," George sighed deeply, thinking for a long time before he spoke again, "She's pushing herself further and further away from us,"

"I know, we need to get her back soon or I'm scared that we'll have lost her for good," Angelina sighed also, looking up at George, her eyes full of worry and concern for her best friend, "It mustn't be easy on Fred either," She said finally.

"It isn't," George admitted, "He says he's moving on, but I'm not sure he ever will. Not while she's so distant and unlike herself. It's allowing him to cling to the hope that maybe, one day, they'll get back together again," He stared into the fire vacantly. What a crappy start to their final year. If everything had been like normal, they'd have been celebrating with a big party and far too much drink, but as it turned out, no one was exactly in the partying mood.

"Do you think they will ever get back together?" Angelina asked after another long, thoughtful pause.

"I don't know, but if they do, I hope it's easier this time," George sighed, "I'm not sure how much more drama I can cope with,"

"You and us all," Angelina laughed sadly. She would give anything to see her best friend back to her normal, bubbly self. George, too, started laughing for very little reason at all, but it felt so good to laugh that once he started, he couldn't stop for ages. Eventually, Angelina spoke up once again, "When did we all grow up?"

"I don't know, but it's been too quick hasn't it," George said pensively. She agreed before kissing him goodnight and making her way up to the dorm, where everyone was already in bed.

As Angelina entered the dorm, the lights were out and everyone appeared to be sleeping. Everyone, that was, apart from Ella, who was lying too still to actually be asleep. Ella, in actual fact, was anything but a peaceful sleeper with her heavy breathing, light snoring and thrashing and turning side to side in her sleep, so she must be awake.

Without saying a word, Angelina dressed into her pyjamas and climbed into Ella's bed, next to her and wrapped her vulnerable best friend up in her arms.

"Elle?" She whispered quietly. There was no reply other than a sniff as the younger girl sucked back her tears. "I'll always be here for you, rememeber that?" Angelina whispered again, this time with a bit more conviction. "Always."

**A/N: So this chapter isn't quite as long as some of my recent ones but it seemed to take forever to write and that (along with being back at school *bork*) is why it took so long to update. It was also a bit lighter and jokier, although there was also a lot of sop in this one too, as it's recently felt like it was turning quite dark. I would just like to thank all my amazing followers and everyone who has favourited this story, it's more than I ever really dreamed of- although reviews are lacking slightly. So, will Ella continue to cut herself off or will she chose to rejoin her friends and family? Or worse, will she turn to the 'dark side? Dun, dun, dun...**

**Next chapter...**

"It's true," Ella spoke from the doorway, causing the room full of heads to turn and gape at _her, _the one who'd stayed so suspiciously quiet, "He's back. Lord Voldermort is back."

**and...**

"I don't see why we can't' just be friends, like we used to be?" (Ella to Fred)

**Keep remembering to read and review :)**

**xoxo -C**


	43. Dumbledore's Army

Chapter 43

When Ella awoke the next morning, she still felt the comforting presence of her best friend's arms wrapped around her reassuringly. She was ashamed to admit that Angelina's sweet words had touched her so much that she had begun to well up and made her unable to cry, for fear of breaking out into hysterical sobs. She told herself, that was going to try not to shut herself off from everyone and everything so much, they didn't deserve that.

At lunch after the morning of lessons, Ella still sat away from her friends but did not freeze them out the same. Baby steps. Shit, Harry was coming over. She felt guiltiest about how she'd been treating him and that was worse than the general reluctance she felt to socialise with any of the others in general.

"Hey, Ella," He took a seat next to her, Hermione and Ron sitting on the other side of the table, "how you feeling?" He asked in earnest.

"alright thanks," She smiled, trying her best to make sure it wasn't a grimace, back at him, "you?"

"Alright," He mumbled, "you had Defence against the dark arts yet?"

"No why?" Ella asked intrigued. She'd been too preoccupied by stopping herself gagging at her supposed close friend slavering all over her ex, to pay attention to the new teacher introductions.

"Lucky you," Ron mumbled, before getting a sharp elbow in the ribs curtosy of Hermione.

"Is she _that_ bad?" Ella scoffed incredulously.

"She's a nightmare," Harry admitted, "She's given me a detention already for saying the truth about Voldermort returning," Ella froze at the mention of that night. Yet again more proof of what a terrible she was. She couldn't even get over herself enough to help out her distressed younger brother. Harry continued, "and Seamus was being a prick last night, calling me a liar. They all are. They're saying that I have no proof, that no ones backing me up..." He trailed off, noticing Ella's sudden silence. He hadn't meant to upset her. He hadn't meant that at all, he'd just been on a rant. Oh crap, just as he was getting her to talk to him a bit more again, he had to go and blow it all.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The next few weeks all blured into one, for Ella, as she buried herself in her school work in an attempt to try and shut off all of what had been her friends in the previous year, with the exception of Angelina. She felt horrible for doing so, but what was to be done? None of them seemed any more for worse because of it. Fair enough, there'd been no wild Gryffindor parties yet, but maybe they'd just not found an occasion to party for, or they might have _even_ decided to buckle down this year and take their work more seriously. Although both explanations weren't the most believable, the latter was probably the most plausible due to Fred, Lee's and Georges infamous ability to never fail to find a reason to throw a raging party, if that was what they felt like doing.

The sunny, warm of autumn soon turned to the crisp cool of winter, the seasons all blending into one. One particularly cold morning, when the snow enveloped the grounds expansively, Ella decided to take a break from her work to nip into Hogsmead, seeing as it was one of the weekends when they were allowed, to purchase a few bits and pieces to help with her studies, not to mention a nice supply of chocolate. Although she was still a bit on the too skinny side at the moment, Ella was looking better and less gaunt and ghostly than she had on her enitial arrival to school. She was no longer upset and angry all the time, she was just reluctant. Reluctant to build up the courage to admit her wrong doings. She seriously doubted that, had she been sorted as every other student had, she would never have been placed in Gryffindor as she had very little in the way of courage, obvioulsy. She didn't know what house it would've placed her in actually. Whilst she was quite bright, she was no where near clever enough to be a Ravenclaw. And whilst she had a mean side to her when she wanted, she didn't have enough cunning in her to be Slytherin. And she'd already disproved herself of being loyal or brave, the two traits valued by the remaining two founders.

As she was walking down the long winding road to the village, Ella heard her friend call her name joyously.

"Ella, why in Merlin's name did you never tell me you were coming?" Angelina questions, falling into step.

"It was a last minute decision," Ella shrugged dismissively, "Just needed to get some school supplies. You getting anything in particular?"

"Erm...welll...not particularly..." Angelina looked almost guilty. No, scrap that. She looked very guilty. What in Merlin's name had she done.

"Spit it out then," Ella laughed lightly.

"Well, the new DADA teacher's a load of crap and won't let us use actual magic," Angelina started to explain.

"I'm aware of that. I _have_ been taught by her you know," Ella teased, not realising what her best friend was getting at as she shifted uncomfortably, looking at her feet.

"Well, because of this, and the fact that _you-know-who_," she whispered, "your brother's decided to start a training programme of his own to help us get some more practical practise," Angelina mumbled quickly, as though it would ease the blow that the words were delivering.

"What?" Ella spluttered disapprovingly. "and you're going?" She asked in disbelief. Her best friend, and her only friend at the minute, was ditching her well and truly, leaving on her own to fight away her demons. Brilliant.

"Well, yeah. It's all stuff I'll need to know in the future and your brother's had plenty of experience," Angelina explained.

"_Too _much experience," Ella scoffed irritatedly. "Why haven't I heard of this?" Ella snapped, suddenly feeling quite offended that she'd never even been invited to one of his little meetings, although this appeared to be the first.

"Harry _was_ going to ask you to help him run it, but he didn't want to push you too much," She trailed off awkwardly, appearing to have a mental civil war with herself, "Come along," Angelina said enthusiastically. Ella laughed, somewhat incredulously.

"I think I'll pass on that," She said dismissively waving a hand as she turned down the opposite street, towards Madame Malkins'.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

As Ella sat at the bar in the Three Broom Sticks, mulling over whether she should have gone to her brother's meeting, over a nice, heart warming glass of Butterbeer. She didn't know how on Earth Harry would even react if she just, all of a sudden, turned up out of the blue, as though nothing had happened. As though she hadn't just been ignoring him and all her friends for months on end. And then there was Fred. How on earth was she meant to tackle that one. Just thinking of him and Alicia, one of her supposed 'close' friends, getting it on, both made her stomach churn and her heart drop all at once. How was she meant to face him now? Now that he was hooking up with one of her '_friends'_? Or maybe it would make it easier, that way they could just continue as the friends they had been before they decided to go and mess it all up by getting together.

Just as she was trying to decide whether to go or not, she felt a familiar, skinny arm wrap around her waist, and turned to see a pair of icy grey eyes, looking at her with a mixture of satisfaction and some sort of sick, twisted joy.

"Care for a drink?" The Slytherin boy asked, smirking at the silencing effect his unannounced appearance had had.

"Draco..." Ella stuttered, lot for words. She'd assumed he'd wiped his hands of her the moment they'd returned to school, but here he was, offering her a drink and, probably, much more if she wanted. But then she remembered of how easily he'd dismissed the thought of their...umm..._friendship_...and how he'd laughed i her face as though it was a ridiculous suggestion. She'd never felt so unwanted in her life and now, standing here with a clearer head and in a healthier state, she couldn't believe that she'd ever been stupid enough to ever drink with with him, let alone sleep with him. It was as though the dense fog that had been clouding her bleary mind for the past few months, had suddenly cleared and she was seeing everything as normal now. Except, nothing was normal. She'd cocked it all up and was, quite frankly, disgusted at herself. She met his sleezy gaze icily, and forcefully removed his arm from her waist. "No thank you." She said shortly.

"What's wrong?" Her sneered, edging ever closer to her. "Since when have _you _not wanted a drink? Or anything else for that matter," He almost jeered. Ella could have slapped him, but that would have been too easy. It would have given the slimy git the satisfaction he wanted, by her showing his words got to her.

"I will admit I like a drink, Draco," She spoke condescendingly, her tone still hostile, "But it's two in the afternoon, and _some_ of us have better places to be," She sneered a sneer that even he, Draco Malfoy, himself would have been proud of, had it not been directed towards him.

"Bitch," He muttered under his breath as she strutted gracefully out.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

"hi," Hermione stood up in front of the room full of students, awaiting for the start of the meeting, "we all know why we're here," She paused hesitantly, as the silence of the room echoed painfully, "So, we need a teacher," She fumbled for the right words, nervously, "A proper teacher, one who's had proper experience defending themselves against the dark arts," She paused briefly.

"But, why?" A small, stout fourth year chirped up from a few rows back.

"Why?" Ron scoffed incredulously. "Becuase you-know-who's back you tosspot," He glared at the younger boy, who retorted.

"so _he _says," the younger boy scoffed defiantly, nodding his head indignantly at Harry, who still had't said a word.

"So Dumbledore says," Hermione jumped in for her best friend, relieved to see that it wasn't only the three of them, sat at the front, that were looking disgruntled by this boy's rudeness.

"What, Dumbledore says because _he_ says?" Another boy scoffed, this one Harry recognised to be a sixth year Ravenclaw.

"But-" Hermione started before she was cut off once again, by the dark haired, Ravenclaw boy.

"If Potter could just tell us a bit more about Diggory's death then..." He hinted, hungry for the gossip. It made Harry sick. The slimy, insensitive little vulture.

"I'm not here to talk about Cedric," Harry stated boldly, speaking for the first time, "If that's the only reason why you're here, then you can just all clear out," He said before turning to Hermione, pleading her in a whisper, just to cancel the whole ridiculous idea. It was ludicrous anyway, who would want to be taught anything by him, the school basket case? Just as Harry was heading towards the exit, Luna spoke up in her dreamy voice.

"Is it true you can produce a protronous charm?" She asked mystically. Harry scanned the room sceptically, opening his mouth to answer when Hermione jumped in.

"Yes, it's true. I've seen it," She said enthusiastically.

"Blimey Harry," Dean Thomas spoke up warmly, "I didn't know you could do that,"

"And second year, he fought off a basalisk," Neville piped up, excitedly, trying desperately to help his friend in any way he could. "With the sword in Dumbledore's office," The enthusiasm was infectious, it appeared.

"Third year, he fought off about a hundred dementors at once," Ron added with a triumphant smile.

"And last year, he _really_ did fight off you-know-who in the flesh," Hermione said finally, casting a still silence over the room.

"Hermione," Harry said looking very hesitant indeed, before going on to say, "look," He hesitated, "It all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half that time, I nearly always had help," he paused.

"He's just being modest," Hermione gushed.

"No, Hermione, I'm not," Harry quickly shot back in, "facing that stuff in real life, is not like school. If you get it wrong, you can't just come back to tomorrow and try again. That stuff out there is life or death," He paused as there was a hushed muttering throughout the room.

"How can we even tell if what you're saying is true though? How are we meant to know if you-know-who really is back?" The cocky Ravenclaw boy, challenged once again. Merlin, did he never give up? Obviously not.

"It's true," Everyone eye in the room swung to the entrance, to see _her, _the one who'd stayed suspiciously quiet all these months, stood in the door way, now blushing slightly, as she continued, "He's back. Voldemort is back," She said, willing herself not to just turn and bolt. Had a pin dropped, it could have been heard, as the room full of people stared at her speechless. Harry looked on at her, not sure of how to react. He'd been sure, after so long of her distancing herself, even after they'd returned to school, that he'd lost her for good. But he hadn't and he couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face as he let out a slight laugh of joy, as the began to walk towards each other, meeting by the front, in a tight embrace. It felt so good to have her, his only living blood relative (the Dursleys didn't count, they never did) back in his arms, hugging him back.

"Ella," He gushed, "Thanks," He whipsered before letting her step away from his tight grip. Ella, smiling uncontrolably, turned to face the crowd of sitting students, watching on intently, soaking up the gossip to relay it back to their doormmates, when they returned back to school.

"He really _is _back, and _we_," She smiled at her brother, "want to help prepare you all for what's out there. Merlin, we _even_ tell you what's out there exactly, but we can prepare you for anything the best we can,"

"You want to help?" Harry asked, his voice drenched in evident hope.

"Of course I do," Ella smiled back, before turning to everyone else once again, "Now the sign up sheets..." She trailed off as her eyes locked onto Fred's. Shit, why did _he _have to be here. His eyes were boring into her, neither one daring to break the eye contact.

"I have the sign up sheets here," Hermione jumped in, to divert everyone's attention from Ella, who still seemed to be oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in the room at all. However, despite Heriome's efforts, no one moved a muscle, not wanting to miss a moment of any drama that could provide brilliant gossip.

"Right, everyone out," George stood up, ushering everyone else to do the same, walking over to the exit, "let's leave them to it," He winked cheekily at Ella as he left, herding the disgruntled students.

Even after everyone had left, the pair just stood in the same position, still not easing their gazes in the slightest. Finally, after what felt like an age, Fred spoke up.

"You're really coming back?" He asked disbelievingly.

"What do you mean? I've never been away," She asked, despite knowing exactly what he was getting at.

"You know what I mean. I've missed you," Fred said boldly, still not breaking the eye contact as he walked towards her. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest as he took in her appearance. She looked so run down and vulnerable as she stood in front of him, looking unhealthily thin, her hair matted in clumps, the roots hald way down her head, her once full lips dried and cracked and her once dancing emerald eyes, filled with sorrow. Despite all this, what hit him hardest was how much the stress had seemed to age her. Right there, she couldn't have looked much more broken, yet he still couldn't stop admiring her beauty.

"Really?" Ella scoffed disbelieving, turning away from him, insulted that he'd said such a thing, whilst his _girlfriend_ was waiting back at the castle for him.

"Of course!" He persisted, not realising what she was getting at.

"So, tell me Fred," She said sourly, "Where's Alicia today? From what I've heard, you two are joined at the hip - no sorry- the mouth, now days," She said dryly, feeling an odd sense of satisfacation when his face dropped. Maybe it was the knowledge that she could hurt him, just as he had hurt her, that made her feel this way. Or maybe it was because deep down, she was just genuinely a bad person, but either way, it felt good to see him hurt too. To not feel so weak again.

"I...err...I meant to speak to you about that," He squirmed under her deathly glare, looking intently at the floor.

" 'Course you did," She scoffed, laughing slightly hysterically.

"Ella, I don't even see why all this matters," He tried to reason, but he was cut off by another bark of her cold laugh in her hysteria.

"Of course it matters you idiot!" She yelled, firing hexes at him, which he just about kept managing to dodge. _  
_

"Ella," He shouted back, in an attempt to get her to stop, "Ella, please! Ella, Stop!" He moved swiftly around the room, trying to avoid her outstanding aim. "Ella, just look at yourself. What is going on?!" He yelled finally. He stood there, stationary, waiting to be hit with a painful hex, but nothing came. She just stood there. Numb. That was, until, she crumpled into a pile on the floor, and sobbed the tears she'd been suppressing since July. The tears about her baby, the tears about the trial, the tears about her fucked up relationship, her tears about her life. Everything was such a mess. She was such a mess.

"Hey, shhh," Fred was by her side before she'd even had chance to fully hit the ground, stroking her hair, as she lay in the centre of the room, curled up like a small child. "You can tell me. Whatever it is, you can tell me," He soothed her for a while longer before he got any response.

"I'm sorry," She sighed, still leaning into his lap, "I really am sorry,"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, not after what you've been through," He sighed, still subconsciously running a hand through Ella's hair.

"No, I do and I am," She insisted, "But can we leave it at that?" Fred nodded and the two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, until they stood and began to make their way to honeduke's cellar, seeing as it was starting to go dark outside.

They wandered down the long, winding passage into the school, staying a respectable distance away from each other, both unsure of what the other was thinking.

"Elle," Fred said finally, not even realising he'd used his pet name for her (even if others did use it, it was him who'd started calling her it), "what's going to happen now then?" Ella considered this for a moment, so much so she'd stopped walking momenteriily to allow herself to think.

"I don't know," She finally admitted with a sigh, "I really don't," They once again, walked on in silence for a short while longer. "but I can't see why we can't just be friends?" She suggested, "You know, like we used to be? You were one of my, if not, my best friend before we got together, which makes me sad. I feel as though we threw away all that, and look where we've ended up now. I can hardly say it's for the better, can you?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"No, neither can I," He admitted also, "So, friends?" He asked hesitantly, hoping to Merlin he wasn't shot straight down in the face.

"Friends," Ella agreed with a smile. This was the first time, that Fred had noticed, since that fateful night, that she'd smiled such a genuine smile, it reached her eyes, and made them dance once more.


	44. We're Young, Wild and Free

"Urgh, as if we've got DADA first," Angelina groaned miserably to her best friend as they were applying their makeup in the bathroom, after their showers.

"Tell me about it, the women's a physco," Ella laughed as Angelina made a shooting motion towards her own head, "Urgh, look at my roots," Ella complained, looking closely into the mirror with a troubled expression, "Please, someone tell me why I died my hair blonde,"

"Because you thought you needed an improvement while you were fucking up everything else," Alicia snided as she strutted into their shared bathroom, butting Ella out of the way to get to the mirror herself.

"Shut it, Spinnet," Angelina hissed, snapping her makeup bag closed.

"No, it's fine," Ella smiled sweetly, "Everyone has a right to have their opinion on hair, but I'm not going to take it personally, Ang, because at least isn't naturally like this but hers...it's erm...interesting," and with that, Ella stalked out, followed by Angelina who was smiling proudly, the word happy not coming close how much joy having her friend back to normal filled her with. Ella knew it was a bit of a low blow, attacking someone in a bathroom like that, but it felt nice just to let Alicia know that two could always play at any game.

"And that horrific cat of yours keeps putting dead mice in my bed, it's hideous!" He snapped moodily.

"Then I've been training him right," Ella said cooly, which reminded her, she still needed to feed poor boots this morning.

"What's up with Spinnet this morning?" Angelina asked Katie as they reentered their room, where Katie was doing her hair.

"Oh, Fred broke things off with her last night," Katie shrugged honestly, "Can't say I'm too sorry, they were a bit in your face,"

Ella couldn't believe it. He'd actually broken things off with Alicia. But why? Did it have anything to do with her? No. She shook her head, she was being silly. Her and Fred were just friends, they'd decided that they were better that way only last week. She needed to stop filling her head with silly pretenses and fantisies and get on with her life and bloody well move on, preferably to someone other than Draco Malfoy.

"You coming to breakfast then?" Angelina asked, pulling Ella out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" She rushed down the stairs with so much haste, that she tripped up over her own feet and landed in a very ungraceful heap at the bottom of the stairs. "fuckkkk," She complained, her face now beetroot red as she felt a presence standing over her.

"Someone's keen to get to breakfast," The tall redhead that was standing by her laughed as he offered her a hand, to help her up.

"As a matter of fact, yes I am. I'm very hungry," She stuck her nose in the air, going to stalk out the common room.

"Ella," Fred caught her by the wrist, spinning her round. Ella's breath caught in her throat as his touch still made her skin tingle deliciously, "try not to go falling down any more stairs, you're the most accident prone person I know,"

"Thanks for pointing that out, so usefully, I'll give it my best shot," She feigned a glare at him and walked off to where Angelina was waiting for her by the portrait hole.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Defence against the dark arts was dragging. It was painful for all involved. As they sat next to each other, Ella and Angelina chattered and giggled, cracking toad related jokes about their new DADA teacher.

"Ooo, I've got one," Angelina shoved her hand in her mouth to stop herself from breaking out into laughter before she'd even shared her joke, "What is Umbitch's favourite type of shoe?"

"I don't know," Ella whispered, giggling all the while.

"Open toad!" Angelina whispered, sending them both into muffled hysterics. Okay, so the jokes themselves were actually terrible but that lesson was so boring, they had reverted back to the type of sense of humour a five year old could appreciate. Ella quickly tried to shove her fist into her mouth, to stop herself from laughing so much, when she snorted.

"Miss Potter, Miss Johnson, is something the matter?" Umbridge snapped in her irritatingly squeaky voice.

"No Professor," The girls chorused, trying, and failing, to compose themselves.

"Right, that's it," Umbridge said firmly, as Angelina let out a loud bark of laughter, "Miss Johnson, swap with Mr Weasley," She ordered.

"Which one? There's too many of them," Angelina burst back out into laughter, setting Ella off as well in the process, past the point of being able to calm down, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks.

"Either, I don't care. Now, swap this instant," She snapped like the authoritarian bitch she was. Angelina, complying sweetly, made her way to the twins' table at the other end of the classroom, and ordered Fred to swap with her, so as she could sit with her on-off fling of a boyfriend. Ella envied their relationship, everything just seemed so simple, and it suited them both perfectly.

Fred, looking at the still giggling Ella with a wary eye, took Angelina's seat, winking at Ella.

"What's up with you?" Fred whispered, chuckling also. Her laugh was so infectious, it just made him smile.

"Just one of those moods," Ella shook her head, wiping the tears from under eyes, "I have a lot of fun to catch up on,"

"Well in that case," Fred smilied cheekily, slinging an arm around the back of her chair, leaning close to her so as not to attract Umbridge's attention, "Drinking party with the usual lot in our room tonight?" She smiled smugly and nodded. "Our room by 7, we'll sort the drink but if you have any, don't be affraid to bring it," He winked at her again. Why did he have to be so bloody gorgeous? Stupid boy.

"Sounds like a plan," She confirmed, pushing him away from her teasingly. Just as they started to settle to their work a bit, or at least try to, a folded note flew over and landed on their desk. It read:

_How do frogs die?  
__They Kermit __Suicide_

Ella looked over at Angelina and the pair both burst into hysterical fits of laughter once again. Fred, curious as to what the two girls found so funny, took the note from Ella's hand and read it with a bemused expression on his face.

"Get it? KERMIT THE FROG!" Ella cried, as though Fred hadn't got the joke.

"Right Miss Potter, Miss Johnson and Mr Weasley, please calm down or I will have to ask you to leave," Umbridge shouted at them, looking as though her was about to explode.

"I can't cope," Angelina cried, clutching her stomach as she gasped for breath, "I don't think I can calm down professor," She said between gasping breaths, just to break out into more laughter, which instantaneously set Ella off again. Umbridge looked as though she was about to hex them both.

"It's alright, Professor," Ella said through her laugher, "We'll just go," She said, as she stood up and walked out the room, still in fits of laughter,

"Me too," Angelina stood and left. Fred repeated this, also leaving, chuckling to himself, leaving George to be the only one remaining from their house.

"I think I'm going to dash as well professor, if you don't mind," He stood, gathering his books and, too, leaving, leaving Umbridge to stare after them numbly, at a loss for words.

As the group reached the common room, which was deserted, their laughter finally began to subside and they all collapsed in a very squished heap on the sofa.

"Who's sat on my arm?" Ella complained in jest as she tried to free her trapped arm.

"It's my way of stopping you from running away," Fred teased as he shuffled around so as she could get comfortable.

"I don't feel like going back to lessons today," Angelina moaned, leaning closer into George.

"Neither," They all agreed simultaneously. It was the last thing any of them felt like doing.

"How about we have a little day out then?" Fred suggested.

"But we _do_ have NEWTs at the end of this year, we can't just up and out of all our lessons," She groaned.

"But we're skipping all our lessons, just todays," George reasoned.

"Yeah, exactly," Ella added, beeming, "Come on Ange," She put on her puppy dog eyes, pleading to her best friend to come.

"Fine," Angelina puffed in jest, as though she was being forced into something she would highly dislike, although it was in fact, the complete opposite.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

After the group had changed out of their uniform, they met downstairs, back in the common room. Ella was dressed in a black spagetti strapped top, under a floatly, floral print kimono, a pair of short, distressed denim shorts, knee high socks and a pair of black sneaker trainers.

"Interesting look you've got going on there," Fred teased as Ella came down the stairs.

"It happens to be current and comfy, best of both worlds. Not sure I can say the same for your constant stream of knitted jumpers," She teased back, causing him to grab her and throw her over his shoulder and start running round the room with her.

"Fred!" She squealed. "Put me down you FREAK!" She shrieked. Not looking where he was going, Fred tripped over the corner of the rug and went tumbling into the sofa, landing on top of Ella. "That's not what I meant," She laughed as he just lay above her, supporting his own weight on his elbows, "Now move,"

"Who says I want to?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, laughing easily. Ella couldn't express how much she loved having things back to normal between them and how easy it was now as just friends. She decided she needed to stop looking for a boyfriend and just be content with her amazing friends for once.

"Come on you two before this gets classed as crappy, mediocre porn," George teased, throwing a pillow at his twin, "Get off the poor girl before you crush her," and with that the group set off, taking the one-eyed witch passage to Hogsmead.

"How have I been friends with you two so long and never known about this?!" Angelina exclaimed for what must have been the fifth time. "Did you know about it Ella?"

"Yeah," Ella shrugged, "It's handy,"

"Handy?! How come she's been here for a year and I've been here over 6 and she knows and I don't?" she smacked George on the forearm.

"'Cause I knew I'd get beaten for not showing you earlier," He teased.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

In the Three Broom Sticks, Ella, Angelina and George waited for Fred to return with the drinks he was planning to flirt out of Madame Rosmerta. However, he returned empty handed, with a severely disgruntled expression.

"She's not in today," He threw himself down onto the seat, next to Ella, in the booth, "It's that grumpy man that never serves us, just because we forgot our ID," He continued to chunter about how unfair it was because he was actually of age but the crank still wouldn't serve him.

"Urgh, let me out," Ella snapped finally, sick of hearing Fred's whining, licking his poor wounded ego.

"What? Why?" He said, taken aback, thinking he'd pissed off to the point she wanted to leave.

"Do you want me to try and get us some drinks or not?" She shot at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What makes you think he'll serve you when he won't serve us?" He asked skeptically. "_You're_ not even of age," Ella just rolled her eyes and climbed over him to get out.

"I'm a girl," She explained shortly, pulling down her top slightly, to make it a bit more revealing, "I'm sure I'll be able to convince him,"

"What? I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this," Fred clung onto her wrist but she just shook it off.

"Let's not pretend I'm above it," She laughed bitterly, not noticing how uneasy Angelina and George looked, knowing the truth about how much she, at one point, actually hadn't been above this at all. She soon returned with four double firewhiskys and four butterbeers.

"To kick start tonight's party," She winked at them all, placing down the drinks triumphantly, pulling her top back up into place, laughing as they all looked at her uncertainly, "Get over yourselves and drink," She commanded jestingly, and they all did so, returning to their prior easy chatter and laughter.

After finishing their drinks, the girls were a bit tipsy, whilst the boys, annoyingly, seemed to hold their drink a lot better, but then again, _they'd_ had full English Breakfasts this morning.

"Urgh, I want my hair back to normal now," Ella whined, "I hate being this blonde, it feels so...Slytherin," she shuddered at the mention of _that_ house, causing the others to laugh.

"We can get some dye from the apothecary and I'll do it for you, if you want?" Angelina suggested.

"Yes please!" Ella said enthusiastically. "Got any charms or spells that will make it grow back to how long it was either?" She asked hopefully.

"Afraid not," Angelina laughed again. They ordered another round of drinks and decided to set up camp there for the rest of the day.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

When the foursome arrived back, carrying their now ridiculously large supply of alcohol to add to their already quite big stash, lessons had finished for the day and the common room was now packed.

"Ella," Harry called her over from where he was sat at a table in the far corner. She beemed at him as she approached, "Is it true you walked out of Umbridge's lesson today?" He asked disbelievingly, always having thought of his sister as relatively well behaved, or at least when it came to her school work.

"Not really, she asked us to either calm down or leave and we just chose the latter," She winked at her brother, "Her teaching's a load of shit anyway,"

"Talking of which, when should we have the first DA meeting?" He asked, the amount he desired his sister's approval at this moment, heart warming. She really did love Harry, she just couldn't believe how coldly she'd treated him the past few months.

"Whenever," Ella shrugged, "Next week sometime? Gives people enough time to find out about it but not enough for too many of the wrong people to," She suggested.

"Yeah, brilliant," He smiled goofily, making him look the spit of the picture of their father that Ella had in her bedside draw upstairs.

"OI!" Angelina called down the stairs in a loud voice, evidently still tipsy. "You want your hair doing or not?" And with that Ella shot a smile at her brother and ran full pelt up the stairs, managing to stay on her feet this time.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Shots!" Lee anounced at the top of his voice, just as Ella, Katie and Angelina entered his and the twins' dorm. Alicia had been invited but had declined because she was 'still too heart broken'. Drama queen, she was only with the boy for about two weeks, boohoo. Fred and George immediately swooped to the girls with full shot glasses. They all grimaced at the burn down the back of their throat as the firewhisky scratched and scorched its way down their throats.

"Thought you were a hardened drinker," Fred teased Ella, laughing at the expression.

"I can tell you now, that _that_," She looked at the bottle of firewhisky in Fred's hand with distaste, "Only ever starts to taste better if it's purpose is to drown your sorrows. Then you live for that burn,"

"I do worry about you sometimes," He mocked her, ruffling her hair.

"Go on, try messing it up because sure it's possible that it can get any messier," She laughed, hitting him playfully across the arm.

"Fair point," Fred shrugged, "But I prefer it now it's back to your normal colour," He smirked running a hand through it.

"Really?" She scoffed. "I always thought of you as blonde haired, blue eyed, big boobed type of man," She shrugged honestly.

"How could you think that if I spent a year chasing after you," He teased again.

"Oi, you calling me flat chested," She raised an eyebrow out him in faux warning.

"Will you two either stop flirting or just go in the other room and shag," An already drunk Lee called over from where he was sat on the floor, where he was now pelted with pillows, curtsey of Fred and Ella.

George went on to suggest a game of Ring of Fire, which went well until everyone had gotten too drunk to remember the rules. Who in Merlin's name creates a drinking game with so many rules? Anyway, after they'd all lost complete track of what was going on, they just sat around chatting.

"I got an idea!" Lee broke into the conversation, in a manner that would have been considered rude without the amount of alcohol they'd all ingested. "Let's play spin the bottle, 3 girls, 3 lads. It'll work perfectly," George looked at his sceptically whilst the girls all seemed to like the idea.

"I'm NOT kissing Fred!" George announced firmly, closing his eyes for a moment as though it was a task that took great thought.

"Neither, it's just wrong," Fred slurred in agreement.

"Fine, you don't have to!" Ella said exasperatedly, "Come on, just play! It'll be fun," She leaned closer to Fred, teasingly, the drink making her forget about how awkward the situation should be between them and the boundaries they should have. "Or are you scared?" She purred in his ear.

"Of course I'm not!" He puffed out his chest defiantly and announced that he, too, was going to play.

First spin was between Angelina and George, no biggie, they'd already been shagging for just over half a year. Next was Ella's turn. She span the bottle wildly, laughing as it landed on Katie.

"Are you wanting to re-spin?" George asked seriously, although he did sound a bit disappointed.

"No," Ella said determinedly, "Unlike you guys, girls aren't afraid to snog another girl every now and then," She shrugged before leaning across the circle to Katie and pulling her into a hot, searing kiss. Tongues the bang lot. She let out a bark of raucous laughter as she pulled to see the boys all staring at them as though they'd died and gone to heaven. "You're turn Georgie," Ella teased, as she licked her lips in triumph. George spun the bottle obediently, laughing as it landed on Ella.

She wasn't going to lie, the boy was a good kisser, and she could certainly see what Angelina saw in him, but for her, there was no real connection. None of that fire that Fred brought every time their skin touched. She really had to stop comparing everyone to Fred, they were just friends now and it was much better like that.

Next to spin was Lee, and his landed on Katie. The pair of them were surprisingly intense, as though they'd forgotten anyone else was in the room. After a few minutes, rolling his eyes, George tossed a pillow at the couple.

"Don't get me wrong, I like porn, but not when it's in real life. That's just scaring," He gagged slightly while Ella, Angelina and Fred all just laughed at his comments. With a regret, Lee pulled away, but spent the rest of the night barely taking his eyes off of Katie. "Right Freddie, your go," George clapped his brother on the back, as he spun the bottle. Oh shit, it was getting close and slowing dow-shit. It had landed on Ella. Now that was going to be awkward.

"Erm," George hesitated awkwardly, "You don't have to if you don't want, just with-" George began but Ella just scoffed at him.

"Shut up will you George," She slurred, already getting onto her knees, "Fred and I are just friends, just like me and you, or me and Ange. Why should it be any different?" Fred shrugged his agreement, before sat in his lap, wrapping an arm lazily around his shoulders, and kissed him. It started off just as the one with George had, but the way her lips tingled and burnt deliciously -even with the usual numbing effect of the alcohol- she couldn't resist, when Fred ran his tongue automatically over her bottom for entrance, allowing it. So they sat there, drunkenly snogging for far longer than they should have for 'just friends'.

Finally, Ella pulled away, gasping for air. She was white as a sheet and looked dazed, staring still at Fred. She felt strangely sober, all of a sudden. Angelina's announcement of it being Ella's turn brought her out of her thoughts.

"I'm going to pass," Ella raised her hands, "I'm going puke," She excused herself to the bathroom, where she just sat there, not sicking anything up at all, but just sitting and thinking. How could she have been foolish enough to kiss him again, so early in their friendship again. She felt fairly sure she'd just fucked everything up, for definite now. Bloody brilliant.

Just as she was feeling severely sorry for herself, there was a knock at the bathroom door. She marched over and swung it open.

"What do you want?" She snapped at Fred as he sauntered past her, into the bathroom.

"Firstly, I needed to use my bathroom," He said like a smart arse, the corners of his lips twitching, "Secondly, I came to see how you were,"

"I'm fine, I've just had too much to drink," she said shortly, turning to face the wall to allow Fred to have a piss. They really were far too comfortable around each other for anyone's good.

"Haven't we all," Fred muttered, concentrating very hard on his aim, "Oh and I wouldn't go back to your dorm if I was you," Fred advised in the kind of voice that Ella could tell he was smirking with out her even having to see him.

"Oh really, why is that? Is this some ploy to get me in your bed Fred Weasley?" She teased, turning around on hearing him washing his hands. "Don't forget I know far too much about you and your advances to fall for that one," She winked at him.

"Damn," He said in jest, putting his hand to his heart dramatically. Ella playfully punched him in the arm, as they started to head back to the boys' room, "and no, it's because George and Ange are shagging in there, probably as we speak," he shuddered slightly, getting a horrific image of his twin. Opening the door for Ella, they entered the room, to find it empty.

"Don't tell me Katie and Lee have too," He said in disbelief. Was he really the only one that wasn't going to get laid?

"Alicia's going to be in for a bit of a shock, seeing as they're probably in too much of a state to put a silencing charm on the bed, even if they tried," Ella staggered around, giggling drunkenly. Loosing her footing, she landed in a heap on the floor, grabbing Fred's shirt as an attempt to steady herself, which only resulted in her dragging him down with him. They took one look at one another and burst into simultaneous fits of hysterical laughter.

They lay in that position, tangled up in each other, a lot longer than they probably ought to have. They knew they were very close to embarking on a very slippery slope, but -whether it was the alcohol or the passion from the earlier kiss, that was still coursing round their veins - they didn't care. Finally, Ella couldn't stifle a huge yawn, suddenly very aware of how tired she actually was.

Fred stood, albeit a little unsteadily, offering her a hand to help her up.

"Looks like you have a full pick of beds tonight, which one's taking your fancy?" He winked at her, wrapping his arms around her waist sportively to steady her as she stumbled about.

"Umm...," she deliberated, "I pick yours," She strided clumsily over to Fred's bed, where she kicked off her shoes and flopped on the bed.

"Oh really?" Fred wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Maybe he wasn't going to be the only one not getting laid tonight.

"I'm not sleeping with you, you can sleep in George's," She crushed his hopes with a mean, cheeky glint in her eye, "Yours is just the comfiest so I chose this one," she winked at him.

"I'm more whipped than a fat fucking pony," He grumbled, getting a shirt out of his wardrobe, "Here," he chucked the shirt to her. along with a clean pair of his boxers. She paused momentarily as she realised it was the shirt she'd always used to sleep in when they were together. He still remembered which one was her favourite shirt. She quickly left for the bathroom, where she got changed. When she came back, Fred was already dressed down in nothing other than a pair of boxers, as he lay on George's bed sexily. Urgh, why did he always have to look like such a fricking sex god.

"Why do my clothes always look better on you than me?" He mused as Ella climbed into her -well technically his- bed.

"I'm used to making you look good, so if I can do that then surely I can make anything look good," She slurred, winking at him, realising that what she just said barely even made sense. Oh well, he didn't seem to notice. "Night, idiot," She called.

"Night, ugly," He called back.

**AN: The lack of reviews at the minutes is really actually quite dis-motivating, therefore not going to update until at least 1 person reviews. I'm sorry to moan on, but is that really too much to ask? **


	45. Jolene, don't take him because you can

**Thanks to the two wonderful people that left me such lovely reviews :) I have no intention of abandoning this story, it's just a bit disheartening when there's no feedback to go off, so thank you once again. So, because of the wait, here's my longest chapter yet and remember to read, review and enjoy!**

**XOXO -C**

Chapter 45

The days had started to become colder as the weeks wore on. The ground crunched beneath Ella's fur interior boots, as she walked around the grounds, early morning, alone with no company other than her feet. Things had been so lovely recently. Her and Fred were still getting on brilliantly as just friends and everyone, with the exception of Alicia, was even fussed about the amount of time Ella had spent isolating herself, and therefore abandoning them, over the summer. She really did have the best friends and she couldn't believe how easily she had forgotten it.

Wrapping her cloak tighter around her as the chilly, early morning breeze picked up, Ella turned back towards the castle. The Gryffindor quidditch tryouts were later that morning and she'd promised Angelina, who was the captain this year, that she'd be there to help. Today was also the day of the first official meeting of Dumbledore's Army. It was certainly going to be an interesting day, but hopefully an enjoyable one none the less.

As Ella sat at the Gryffindor table with her friends, eating her breakfast of toast and jam, an owl flew overhead a dropped a letter on the table, addressed to her in handwriting she recognised immediately.

_Ella, _

_I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you've sorted things out with everyone, Harry's over joyed, even if he doesn't always show it, he is. He's just like your Dad in that way. Harry also told me of Dumbledore's Army, which the two of you will be coaching. Both Remus and I are really proud of you both, as would your parents be. Don't forget me when you're out there winning the war for us,_

_Padfoot_

Ella smiled like an idiot as she read the letter. She'd been so caught up in everything since she'd been back at school, that she'd forgotten how much she'd missed him. Sirius always felt like a safe pair of hands yet not fatherly -or even particularly brotherly- more like a big brother's best friend who was practically family but wasn't. Not to be precise or anything.

"What's got you smiling?" Fred looked at her with a bemused expression, his comment also making the rest of the group to look at her curiously.

"Yeah, Ella," George chimed in, "Who's the secret admirer?" he teased.

"ooo," The twins chorused, causing them all to laugh at their childishness as times, and Ella to slap them playfully.

"Shut up you two," She flashed her enchanting grin as she chuckled, "It's definitely _not_ a secret admirer," She kicked Fred playfully under the table as he started making kissy faces at her, calling him ridiculous.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat with Angelina as they sat and watched as they tried out a new chaser and a new keeper. The long line of auditionees stood nervously, awaiting their turn. Angelina muttered curses under her breath and rolled her eyes as yet another student, from either first or second year, got on their broom, just to prove they could barely fly.

"NEXT!" She yelled before the kid had barely flown around much. Ella shot her a look but Angelina shrugged, justifying that she didn't have time for wannbes that just can't fly. She had a point, the queue was a mile long, and there was only two spaces to be filled.

Just as the next candidate kicked off, and took to the sky, the twins joined the two girls, sat in the stands.

"I like this one," Fred commented, as the boy, whom Ella recognised to be in Ginny's year, was flying around the pitch swiftly, making nimble dodges that would suit the chaser position. Ella and George agreed, but Angelina was too busy watching him intensely to even notice the arrival of the boys. Angelina quickly scribbled something down next to the boy's name before shouting for the next person to appear.

Fred and George looked gobsmacked as they saw their little sister kicking off from the ground, soaring into the air effortlessly. Faultlessly, Ginnny preformed all the various moves that was required of her, with great speed and skill, before landing neatly and waving to her brothers and the girls, sat in the stand as she left.

"Why didn't you ever tell me your sister could fly like that?" Angelina demanded, sounding really quite angry, as she rounded on the two scared looking redheads.

"She never flies like that at home," George tried to lie, but Ella was having too much fun to let that one slide.

"Liar, I remember you lot coming in from one of your quidditch practices at yours, last Christmas, and you two were all in a sulk 'cause little baby sister beat you," Ella cooed, teasing them. She laughed riotously as the boys' faces dropped as Angelina started shouting at them about how much time they could have saved her.

However, once she was done shouting at the twins, Ella's plan backfired at her as Angelina started shouting at her now, "If you knew she was so bloody good, why didn't you say anything?" She roared furiously which, whilst it would scare any normal person, it just made Ella laugh harder.

"Oh Ange," She wiped away her tears of laugher, "You're really getting a bit het up aren't you," if anyone else had of said this to her whilst she was in the this mood, they would have most likely recieved a large foot up their arse, sending them flying, but because it was Ella, Angelina just cracked and started laughing too.

"Okay, so it's not been a complete waste of my time," Angelina admitted as she glanced over her list, "That fourth year boy would fill the reserve position quite nicely," She shrugged, writing his name - Aaron Jones- roughly on the back of her piece of paper which had down the name of the keeper, which they found previously, and now Ginny's. "Sorted, we've got a full team once again,"

And with that, Angelina stood and told all the rest to go back to their dorms as all the positions had been filled. Ella found this slightly harsh, thinking of all those hopefuls, that didn't even get a chance, despite the fact that they be just as good as or, might even, be better than those who had filled the post. But, she reasoned, she supposed Angelina had enough to do without sitting and watching a bunch of wannabes and beginners try to fly around, just for her to tell them to do one.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella lay on Angelina's bed, Boots snuggled firmly into her side, flicking through her copy of Witch Weekly, stopping every now and then to read an article that grabbed her attention, as the other three girls in the dorm, rushed around, getting ready for the first DA meeting. Honestly, all they needed to wear was a simple jeans and t shirt, what was all the fuss about?

There was a load shriek from the bathroom and Alicia came running out, glaring at Ella.

"That!" She yelled venomously, pointing a stout finger at Boots, who'd now woken up from his snooze and started hissing at the jet black haired girl. "That monster has pissed all over the fricking bathroom floor!" She shrieked, making herself look like a fool.

"Are you sure that's not just water from people getting in and out the shower?" Ella said, raising her eyebrow, knowing full well that her cat was well trained and seeing as he'd been fast asleep by her side for the past hour or two, there was no way he could have done such a thing anyway.

"Then why does it smell of piss then?" Alicia shot back, looking far too pleased with herself.

"Hmm..." Ella pretended to wonder. "A bathroom that smells of piss...how could that be?" Alicia just turned on her heel and stalked out the room, muttering curses under her breath.

Angelina, who was dressed in a warm, red winter jumper, complimenting her skin tone brilliantly, and a simple pair of light blue jeans, was finally ready.

"Aren't you going to be a bit cold?" Angelina asked Ella, who was dressed in a tight black vest top and light grey distressed jeans, as she pulled on her sneakers.

"Maybe," She shrugged, putting her magazine down, her cat grumbling as she disturbed it, "but I'm far too warm for a jumper. You ready?" Angelina nodded and the two girl's set off to the room of requirement, which Luna had found around a week before the first meeting was planned. It was brilliant, transforming to suit the seekers needs.

By the time Angelina and Ella arrived, they were some of the last, as nearly everyone they could think of who would join, was there -with the obvious exception of Katie and Alicia who were still getting ready. Seriously, who were they trying to impress? Well Ella knew _exactly_ who Alicia was trying to impress.

"What took you so long?" George scoffed as the two girls approached him and his twin, whilst everyone in the room was milling around, engaging in pleasantries and small talk as they awaited the start of the meeting.

"This one took _hours_," Ella exaggerated, earning her a playful smack around the back of the head from Angelina.

"She just says that because she's scruffy and wears whatever she pulls out first," Angelina teased her friend back.

"Can obviously just pull anything off," Ella said in jest with a faux arrogance, flipping her...err, we'll say now breast length..., dark brown, hair over her shoulder, before throwing her head back and letting out a loud bark of laughter.

"Aw, are they being mean to you?" Fred teased, pulling her into his side, pretending to protect her from her 'bullies', ruffling her already messy, matted hair. "_I _think you look lovely," He winked at her cheekily, before leaning in close and whispering in her ear, so as the others couldn't hear, "Especially when all you're wearing is one of my shirts," Ella blushed violently, walking away to go and find her brother. Urgh, did he not realise how desperately she was trying to stay as just friends with him. How much effort she was making to not just turn around and shag him senseless and to just push him completely out of her head. She needed to move on, end of, and comments like that certainly weren't helping.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, delighted for the distraction of her brother and this meeting. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Alicia and Katie had arrived at some point, and were now chatting away at the other side of the room. "We about ready to start?" She smiled at him kindly.

"Yeah," He smiled back enthusiastically, "I can't believe how many people actually want to come," He said, looking genuinely in awe, and almost lost as he realised the hugeness of what he was actually undertaking here. He was training up an army to fight Voldemort, it couldn't much bigger or much more dangerous than that. But then again, Ella had always known her brother was a natural leader, and he was patient and kind with people, meaning he should make a great teacher. Much more so than she ever would.

"Hi, if I could have everyone's attention," Harry called over the crowd hesitantly, clearing his throat, "If I could..." He started again but there was still a lot of general chatter. This really annoyed Ella. Here her brother, trying to teach them all how to defend themselves in the dark times again and they couldn't even be bothered to give him their full attention.

"OI!" She shouted at the top of her voice, standing next to her brother. "If you're here to learn from my Brother's and my own experience, then listen up. If you're not listening, get out," she shouted at the top of her lungs, silencing the room very effectively indeed. Thanking everyone, Ella stepped back, allowing Harry, once again, to take over.

"Right," He called, "Today I'm going to teach you all how to stun your opponent. The stunning spell is probably one of the most common and useful spell you will learn in these sessions - it's like a wizard's bread and butter- so please pay close attention," He said with a natural authority, "So if I can have two people to demonstrate," He scanned the crowd to find two people to duel, whilst he commented on what they were doing, that he was confident could preform a decent stunning spell, so as not to embarrass anyone, or demonstrate a wrong method, "Ella and..." He picked out his sister, scanning the crowd further, when his eyes rested upon someone, whom he now remembered seeing use a stunning spell - and quite a good one at that - to fend off a deatheater at the Quidditch World Cup, the previous year. "And Fred,"

Ella looked as though she was positively dreading having to purposely intend to harm one of her friends, let alone Fred, as he joined her in the clearing of students that had been made. Hers and Fred's current relationship could only be described as a Fred-and-Ella relationship, as there was no clear definition. Whilst they were _just friends_ there was lots of flirtatious behaviour, but also on a more serious level, as well as just a playful one, and there was all their history, the good and the bad.

Very slowly, Harry explained, carefully, how to successfully preform a stunning spell.

"You scared Weasely," She jeered from the opposite side of the room, as they stood opposite each other, staring each other down with a puckish looks in each of their eyes.

"You wish Potter," He retorted with a smug smirk.

"Oh, are you really that confident now are you?" She raised an eyebrow as him playfully. "If we're _that _confident then, why don't we make things more exciting and put a bet on it?" She challenged him.

"Like what?" He questioned skeptically, not trusting the girl to trick him into betting on his freedom or future.

"How about," She sucked on her teeth thoughtfully, as she thought on what she would most enjoy getting out of Fred Weasley, "I win, you have to be my personal slave for the week, get whatever I want, whenever I want, where ever I want," She smirked as he thought about how he'd never really seen her duel, not properly anyway. This was going to be easy.

"And if I win?" Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your choice, darling," She mocked, knowing how much he hated the use of pet names such as darling, pet, babe, honey, you name it, Fred'll probably hate it. Ella didn't disagree either, she found it soppy.

"If I win...hmm...let me see," He pondered, not wanting to waste this chance, knowing all too well how much she'd be underestimating him, "If I win, you have to do _all_ my homework, that includes essays, practice exam papers, revision notes, the lot," He raised a single eyebrow, daring her to object.

"Fine," She shrugged, "I win, I get a personal slave; you win, I do all your work. Best of three, deal?"

"Deal," He nodded, the pair of them both smiling coyly.

Ella couldn't help but laugh when she saw her brother's expression, which was a strange mixture of horror, amused and defeated, as he clasped his head in his hands. He may be the younger sibling, but somehow he always felt as though he was telling Ella how to behave and was fighting a losing battle. He suddenly had a new found empathy for Hermione, and her constant nagging of him and Ron.

"When you're ready," Harry said, not wanting to watch how catastrophically this went, but at the same time was eager to see the outcome. After all, both were known to be very strong duelers.

Without waiting for another second to pass, both Fred and Ella quickly flourished their wands violently, shouting their incantation. It was nearly neck and neck but Ella did, just about, come out on top when Fred fell to the ground unconscious. With a wry smile, Ella walked over to Fred's still form, standing over him with a triumphant smile.

"Rennervate," Ella flicked her wand lazily, causing Fred to wake up with a start, "You alright down there," She teased, offering her hand to help him up.

"Don't worry Potter, I'll get you," He taunted as they retook their positions, once again firing their aims on Harry's word. This time, however, Fred was the first to get the other by quite a way, sending Ella's hurtling backwards through the air, landing on the floor unconscious. Although he knew she was perfectly unharmed, he couldn't help but feel sick at the sight of her motionless, stiff form, and that he'd done that to her.

Looking rather pale, he quickly made his way over to her, to awaken her and help her.

"Right, come on then Weasley," She bounced up cheerfully, "this one's the decider,"

For a final time, they took their positions, Ella much more enthusiastically than Fred, the sight of her as she had been knocking him off his game slightly. Suddenly, he wasn't all that fussed about the whole homework thing and decided he'd probably quite enjoy spending even more time with Ella, even though he wasn't entirely sure if that was even humanly possible.

One Harry's command, Ella flicked her wrist so quickly, not even having to say the incantation, she sent Fred sprawling across the floor, with a teasing chuckle, reviving straight away, not so much out of concern, but so as she could gloat.

"Told you I'd get you Weasley," Ella laughed joyously, as she offered Fred her hand once again to help him up, her emerald eyes dancing and sparkling as she did so.

"You won fair and square," He shrugged in defeat, "What would you like me to do first m'lady," He bowed overly low, taking her hand and kissing it, causing the spectating crowd laugh at his stupidity. Everyone in the crowd, that was, apart from Alicia, who, if looks could kill, Ella would be lying hard, cold and dead on the stone floor.

"Nothing yet, other than I _am_ going to have to ask you to call me ma'am as 'm'lady' sounds so common," She teased in a false, posh accent.

With that, the observing group disbanded and everyone set to trying to stun a partner, with overall, very little success.

Harry walked around the room, observing his 'students', correcting flourishes of wands and pronunciation of spells as he went. He really was a very good teacher, as Ella had suspected. He was really patient and calm with everyone, whilst being supportive and positive. He was understanding and his methods were proving to be effective. She watched on at her younger brother, in awe of his calm, steady nature before, too, walking round, offering help and guidance to those who needed it.

After over an hour of tireless practicing, with an increasing success rate, Harry ended the night's session, handing out charmed coins that would give people the time and date of the next meeting, when it should be decided. Finally, he reminded everyone that this club was indeed a secret one, and it was of upmost importance that it should stay that way, before dismissing everyone, them all thanking him and Ella fervently as they left.

"Harry, that was brilliant," Ella gushed, hugging her brother tightly, as the majority of people had left, aside from the two friendship groups, excluding Alicia and Katie - who'd been dragged away by Alicia- who'd been one of the first to leave, "You're a seriously good teacher,"

"As were you," He smiled at her, not quite believing himself, how well the night had gone.

"And a bloody good dueler," Fred added, clapping Ella on the back exuberantly.

And with that, Harry and the others all left, aside from Ella who stayed behind to put up some articles from both the previous wizarding war, and from the past summer (obviously not the ones slating Harry), along with the photo of the Order that Sirius had given her before she had come back to school. On it were her parents, Neville's and probably many others'. Ella ran a slim finger across the photo, hovering over Alice Longbottom for a moment. She could what Sirius saw in her. Alice had been a very beautiful woman,with short dark hair and chizzled features, and smile that could light up an entire room on a gloomy day.

"Want any help?" The soft, gentle voice of Fred pricked her ears from just behind her, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"I think I'm about done," she turned to face him, smiling a smile which was goofily returned as they just stood and looked at each other. Only a few months ago, if they'd had this intimacy, they would have taken full advantage of it, but now they we're friends. Just friends and nothing more, Ella had to remind herself every time she felt her body betray her as she involuntarily leaned into him.

"Is that your mum?" Fred pointed to the picture of the Order, to where Lily was stood, with James' wrapped around he protectively as they both smiled warmly.

Ella nodded, not trusting herself to speak, for fear it would wobble, betraying how much she wasn't alright with 'just friends' thing, despite the fact it was she who suggested. She could kick herself.

"She really was as beautiful as they all said she was," Fred spoke softly in his creamy voice and Ella relented to her inward fight and lent back into Fred, "just like you," He added charmingly. Had it come from any other boy, Ella would have cringed at how cliché it was, but with Fred, everything just felt genuine.

They stood in that position, for a good while, saying nothing, just surveying the board. The reality that a war really was just on the edge of breaking out only really sinking in for both of them at that moment.

Finally, Ella slowly turned around, losing physical contact with Fred, much to both of theirs dismay, and looked into his kind, caring eye. Except tonight, there was an emotion in his eye Ella hadn't seen in a long time. Lust.

"We should go back," Ella said in not much than a whisper, scared her voice was going to crack under the intense eye contact.

Fred nodded his agreement, looking away awkwardly as they began to stroll out of the room and worked their way through the corridors.

The diml lit corridors were cold compared to the warmth the crackling fire in the room of requirement produced, causing Ella, who was still only dressed in a flimsy spaghetti strap top, to shiver as he teeth began to chatter.

"Cold?" Fred chuckled, bemused at her foolish choice of clothing. "You do realise that you're in England now and winter's not far off," he teased her, ducking as she tried to swat him. "Here," he took off his cloak, handing it to her, to reveal that underneath he was still wearing a warm wooly jumper. He was obviously a seasoned english man and Hogwarts goer. Stupid Fred.

"Thanks," she smiled as he insisted on wrapping it around her small frame for her. This was the first time Fred had really appreciated how much better she was looking in herself, just because she looked like herself. Her hair was back to it's natural looking state, and her body had refilled out, back into its natural shape. Over the summer, she'd become unnaturally skinny, loosing her luxurious curves.

When they reached the common room, Fred held the portrait open for Ella to pass through first, causing the Fat Lady to coo over what a gentleman he was.

They slowed and ground to a halt, in front of the two staircases leading to the separate dorms, just looking at each other thoughtfully.

"I really did miss you when you shut yourself off from everyone, Elle. It killed me,"he admitted, running a hand up her upper arm, which tingled at the contact. He made her heart wrench and melt all at the same time.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, feeling relieved to finally get it off of her chest, "I missed you more than you could have imagined," her emerald eyes met his hazel ones, and they just held that contact for a moment, treasuring it.

Finally, Fred moved towards Ella, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace, which she, in turn melted into. She'd longed for this contact, and the comfort it brought, for far too long. When they pulled apart, Ella quickly said good night, in a voice that was barely audible, before bolting up the staircase girls' dorms. She was scared that had she stated any longer, that she would've broken her just friends pack instantly.

She entered her dorm, to find Katie and Angelina looking at her expectantly, with raised eyebrows and smug grins.

"What?" Ella laughed at how little faith her friends had in her in keeping her pact. To be fair, they were probably right to. She'd come so incredibly close to just ignoring every thing she'd been convincing herself of, and just snogging him senseless.

"What happened between you and Fred?" Angelina winked, causing the three of them to laugh.

"Go on then," Alicia sneered, leaning against the door frame re-entering from the bathroom, "tell us all the juicy details of what happened with you and Fred," she bit sourly, her face contorted in an ugly jealousy.

"Nothing happened, we just talked," Ella bit back as Angelina and Katie exchanged worried glances with each other, ready to tear theirs friends apart if this fight turned physical.

"oh I bet," Alicia sneered from her bed that she'd sauntered to.

"Licia," Katie said warningly, but Alicia took no notice.

"I saw the pair of you flirting tonight, everyone did. You are all over each other. It was disgusting. Everyone can see you're just taking him for a ride once again but once again he's falling for your innocent façade when really you're just a slut!" she shouted. Ella said nothing, she just stood there dumbfounded but shaking with rags.

"Helen Waterson's dad's was in the jury for your trail. You are quite literally, a whore," Ella's face drained at this comment. Helen Waterson was a Hufflepuff in Ella's year, whose gob was the only thing bigger than the list of boys she'd slept with, meaning everyone was bound to know soon enough, including Fred.

"you can't just leave him alone can you?" Alicia carried on her attack. "why him? Out of all of the boys, why does it have to be Fred?" She said less shrilly now, but with just as much venom. "You could have any boy or man you wanted but you have to keep stringing along the only boy I've ever loved," Alicia faltered.

Ella had heard stories about Alicia and Fred being together on numerous occasions prior to her arrival but Ella had always gotten the impression from Fred that it was just a part of his infamous man whoring past. Obviously, Alicia felt different. Perhaps that was always why she'd been a bit off with Ella.

"Honestly, nothing happened between Fred and me tonight, we're just friends," Ella perisited, although it pained her to add that last phrase. Stupid, stupid, stupid girl for being ridiculous enough to suggest that.

"Then why are you wearing his cloak then?" Alicia shot back before climbing into bed and yanking her curtains shut forcefully. Ella stood and stared for a short while, at a loss of what to do or say. Finally, she too got changed and to bed, shutting her curtains. Tucking her knees to her chest, Ella curled up into a ball in her bed, like a small child, clutching onto Fred's cloak, the fresh smell of his aftershave calming her. she'd missed sleeping with that smell and she could certainly get used to doing so once again.


	46. Of Toads and Bull Frogs

Chapter 46

As Ella entered the Great Hall that morning for breakfast, she noticed the unsubtle whispers that hushed as she passed. You know that feeling when you walk up to a group of people and you can tell that had just been talking about you? Well Ella had that several times in a row that morning. It had only been a couple of days since Alicia had revealed to Ella that Hogwarts' biggest gossip knew her deepest darkest secret. They all knew. There was no hiding it and she oddly didn't care. The only people she cared about finding out were Harry and Fred. Oh Merlin, what on earth were they going to think of her when they heard.

She slumped down in her seat between the twins and opposite Angelina, slamming her books for the morning's lessons down on the table violently.

"Who rattled your cage?" George teased her between shoveling down his big fry up breakfast down his throat. Honestly, how those boys weren't the size of houses, the amount they ate, it astounded her.

"No one that matters," She grunted irritably. She didn't mean to take her foul moods out on people, espeically those, like George, who didn't deserve it, but it had become habit. And quite an inground one at that.

Knowing her too well, the conversation topic was dropped and they then went on the talk about their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson first thing. This and potions were the two lessons which Ella was taking a year early, due to the education system in Durmstrang and Beauxbatons being slightly ahead of Hogwarts. Whilst Hogwarts like to nurture and allow their students the time to be children in order to flourish, the other two European wizarding schools, held a much more hard line academic view on how education should be governed.

Finally, after the three boys had helped themselves to another portion of sausages and mushrooms, they finally stood and left the hall together.

"Ella," Fred took a gentle hold of her forearm, holding her back slightly from the rest of the group so as they could talk in private, "what's bothering you?" He asked, worry and concern filling his striking hazel eyes that never failed to make her heart melt.

"Nothing," She shrugged, trying to free herself of his grip and walk forward, but he knew her too well and refused to let go and allow her to let whatever it was that was bothering her, build up and up until she cracked under it and hit the self-destruct button once again.

"I'm not an idiot and I also care," He said sternly, "What is it?" He asked with much more conviction this time, pulling her into the corner of a deserted corridor, behind a suit of armour as though it would provide them with some privacy.

She sighed in defeat, knowing he wouldn't drop it, "there's just some rumours going round about me, okay?" She lied, pulling away from him and walking off. Okay, so it wasn't a complete lie. There _was _something going around about her, they just weren't exactly rumours, per say, but he didn't know that.

"Ah," Fred said shortly, looking at his feet uncomfortably before walking in his long strides to catch up with her and pull over into a more secluded area of the castle once more, "I have heard them," He admitted, feeling terrible for doing so the minute he saw how white her face went and the look of panic and alarm that flooded her delicate features, "But I don't believe any of it. I mean it's ridiculous! Who would actually believe that _you_ were ever one of _those_," He rushed out, saying the last word in up most disgust. This made Ella's stomach drop. He sounded so horrified, as though they were equivalent to the rats on the street.

She knew she really ought to tell him the truth, but instead she just nodded weakly. Thankfully for her, Fred wasn't one to let awkward silences grow where ever possible and he soon jumped in, instantly making her feel more at ease again.

"Just remember," He said quietly in her ear, his breath tickling her neck tauntingly, "You've still got me as a slave for another week officially, but because I love you, we''ll make that another two," he winked at her, "You want anyone sorting out, let me know," He said protectively, pulling her to his side as they began to walk on once again in the direction of the Gryffindor tower.

She knew she shouldn't let her heart flutter as much as it did when they were that close, but it did. She was being ridiciulous and she knew it. Why would he be so openly flirtatious with her and be so easy in the physical contact with her, if he felt anything like the way she did towards him. But then she thought back to what Alicia had said a couple of nights previously. _Anyone can see he's falling for you all over again_. Was he? Was he actually falling for her or was it Alicia being the over protective, jealous, boy claiming bitch she was. Probably the latter, Ella decided. And even if it wasn't, by believing that one, she'd probably save herself a hell of a lot of heartache.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The days were moving along like lightening, as October began to draw to a close and everyone was already shattered. The teachers were piling work on them as though it was going out of fashion, it had been arranged that the DA were going to be meeting almost every week now and Angelina had the Gryffindor team out practicing almost every day, at times of the morning Fred and George hadn't even known to exist before.

"Urgh, I'm too tired," George complained, as he sat in the changing rooms with his fellow teammates, waiting for Angelina and Ella to arrive. For some reason, Ella -the girl who was normally impossible to get up in a morning, any time before lunch - kept getting up before dawn to come and watch the team practice. Angelina claimed that Ella was co-managing the team as, as a spectator at matches, if she knew their game plans, Ella would be able to give better all round feedback, which allowed Angelina to concentrate on her personal performance, so she didn't let the team down by being distracted.

Their first match of the season was against Hufflepuff, who'd always been a relatively good team, not as great as Slytherin, but always one to watch out for. However, the house morale and energy had still not quite recovered from the shock of the death of Cedric at the end of last term. It was understandable really. Cedric was a very popular, good looking boy, who was a key member of their quidditch team, meaning most of their existing team had known him well. Of course they were still going to be upset.

"Stop moaning," Angelina scolded George as she marched into the room, Ella by her side, muffling a chuckle at the bleary eyed state of the boys before. Even her brother looked like he was just sleep walking. "Today we are going to...where's Alicia?" Angelina looked furious. She, herself, had been late enough at 10 minutes, but this was the 5th time in a week Alicia hadn't been here on time.

"Erm...she was refusing to get out of bed when I tried to wake her," Katie rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Angelina rolled her eyes, muttering about how bloody useless the girl was, and started talking to the team about introducing new moves and tactics.

Out on the pitch, they soon got into a high speed drill after warming up with 5 laps around the pitch. This year, Angelina was determined to get her whole team as physically fit as possible, making them all go out running at least once a day, and if they didn't she could tell and a scolding from Angelina was something to be avoided at all costs. She could make Hermione Granger look like a fluffy labrador when she got going on a rant.

After the rest of the team had been out practicing for half an hour, Alicia finally strolled onto the pitch nonchalantly as though she were only a couple of minutes late. On spotting the girl, Angelina landed and dismounted her broom, storming over to her roommate.

"What kind of time do you call this?" Angelina said sternly.

"Not as ridiculous as the times you ask us to be out," Alicia mocked, picking at her nails haughtily.

"If you think my training schedule is so ridiculous, why didn't you say anything when I first handed it out?" Angelina challenged, glaring at the younger girl, who seemed as though she couldn't have actually given less craps if she tried.

"Because it's _you_ that's ridiculous, not just the schedule," Alicia sneered back, still being too cowardly to even look up at the team captain as she insulted her.

Angelina stared at her incredulously, not even sure of how to react. She had turned into such a cow over the past year, she was gobsmacked she hadn't noticed this change before. Before she could retaliate, she heard someone approach her side.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Ella asked breezily, running a hand through her long, chestnut brown hair, as she looked between her best friend and her roommate, which she hadn't spoken to since they're little argument a couple of weeks prior.

"Alicia's just been kicked off the team," Angelina said flatly, not removing her glare from the arrogant girl.

This made Alicia flick her head up like a shot, suddenly losing all interest in her nails, which they previously seemed to have.

"What?!" She snapped menacingly, flicking her long, poker straight ebony hair behind over her shoulder.

"You heard me," Angelina said coolly, "You're off the team," And with that both her and Ella turned on their heels and stalked off, back towards the practice, leaving Alicia gawping after them.

"Oh and Alicia," Ella turned around and called back to her, "please can you make sure you leave your team jersey in the changing room on your way out," She smiled smugly as Alicia stormed, looking ready to cry.

On their way back to the centre of the pitch, Angelina told her best friend what their roommate had said to her and why she'd kicked her off of the team.

"Serves her right," was all Ella had to say on the matter. Alicia had been getting far too big for her boots for Ella's liking. Sure, she had felt quite sorry for her when she'd proclaimed her love for Fred, who would never return it, but it was her own fault. She was just a silly little girl who was so immature that she felt the need to accuse Ella of stealing Fred away from her to justify why Fred didn't want her, making up all sorts of false accusations in the process.

When they reached the centre, the rest of the team had now all landed and dismounted their brooms as well, eagerly awaiting to hear what all the drama was about.

"Right everyone," Angelina said, sounding very official, "We've had to ask Alicia to leave the team, so we're now a chaser short," She informed them all.

"Why?" George said nosily.

"What did she do?" Fred added, mirroring his twin's exact tone and facial expression, making the pair of them look quite comical.

"It doesn't matter," Angelina brushed them off, fully well intending to tell them later but knowing it would be very unprofessional and immature of her to recite the tale to the whole team, "But the point is, can anyone think of potential candidates for the position? We need someone quick as we've got our match against Hufflepuff next week and tryouts take forever,"

"What about Ella?" Fred suggested, causing Ella to shoot him a disapproving look, immediately writing off the idea as being ridiculous.

"Ella you play?!" Angelina rounded on Ella, looking as though she was about to pull out her wand and start hexing her into next week.

"Well...err...not really..." Ella retreated quickly. Fair enough she had played, but she was no where near good enough to make their team.

"Yes she does!" George interjected.

"She's really good, she played with us once last year," Fred added, just for his twin to finish saying,

"She's a Potter, flying runs in their genes,"

If looks could kill, both of the twins would be lying on the ground, cold and lifeless. Ella was about ready to hex _them_ into next week now.

"Why didn't you tell me? God, I've been wanting to replace Alicia for ages!" Angelina declared, looking thoroughly exasperated.

"Sorry, Ange, but I've never really played. I just used to practice a bit with Krum last year," She shrugged indifferently, as though she'd just said she used to practice constantly with Neville Longbottom.

Angelina scoffed dramatically at this statement. "Only! Fucking only!" She was nearly hysteric. "He's _only_ the best seaker in the world you numbskull," She lightly smacked her best friend over the back of the head.

"Ange, I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this," Ella rubbed the back of her neck exasperated, "I really _can't_ play quidditch," but Angelina had already remounted her broom, encouraging for the others to also do so, and was soaring around the pitch holding the quaffle.

"Be out tomorrow morning at sunrise, your jersey will be waiting for you in the changing rooms," Angelina yelled from so far away that Ella had no chance to argue or disagree so, begrudgingly, Ella agreed, instantly wondering what on earth she'd have gotten herself in for.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat in DADA seriously contemplating whether it was physically possible to Avada Kadavera on yourself as she sat over her textbook, mind numbing copying out pointless questions and answering them, one after another after another. It was endless and enough to make you want to jump off the top of the astronomy tower. Fred sneakily slid her a not across the table to her. She and Angelina hadn't been allowed to sit together when Umbridge was teaching since their lesson of crappy joke telling and uncontrollable giggling.

_Fancy helping plot a prank? _

Ella grinned to herself as she read the note. Looking up at Fred, who was awaiting her answer eagerly, his adorable goofy grin plastered across his fave, Ella scribbled a note back.

_okay, but only if it's against Umbitch_

"If you two are quite done with the immature note passing, will you carry on with your work," The toad like professor scolded in her infuriatingly squeaky voice. Actually, comparing her to a toad was perhaps a bit unfair, what had the toads ever done to be compared to _that_.

Disgruntled, Ella rolled her eyes in irritation before turning back to her work.

"Miss Potter, stay behind after class to talk about your cheek," She said rather shrilly.

"What?" Ella groaned, slamming her quill down on the desk in her temper. "I didn't even say anything,"

"Then you can come and do some lines for me tonight, after dinner, for your back chat," She smiled sickeningly sweetly. Bitch.

"Sorry," Ella said in a false politeness, "I forgot we weren't allowed to breath without getting a detention," She glared at the teacher with nothing other than hatred whilst continuing on with her rant, "oh and what else is it we're not allowed again? Oh yes, _opinions," _She spat angrily, "or in my brother's case, he got put in detention for telling the truth, a truth which the headmaster of _this_ school, _your_ boss, agrees with," She glared at the DADA teacher, daring her to retaliate. Unfortunately for Ella, Umbridge was never one to back down.

"See that's where you're wrong," She spoke as though she was speaking to a five year old who was confused about where babies came from, "I work for the minister, not Albus Dumbledore, and Cornelius most certainly does not believe you and your brother's ridiculous tales," She scolded, her voice ever getting more shrill and high pitched, if that were even possible.

Something inside Ella snapped. She saw red and nothing else. "RIDICULOUS TALES?!" She yelled, jumping to her feet and slamming her hand down on the table in a blind fury, before dropping her voice so it was only just audible. "If only you knew what happened," She shook her head.

The toad like teacher let out a shrill little giggle, reminding Ella of mixture of a pig and witch, "Oh dear, someone needs to watch their temper now don't they," She giggled again. Ella felt a trickle of blood run down her hand where her nails had dug into her skin so deeply. Who did that teacher think was? If she'd been in a room with Umbridge, Grindlwalt and Voldemort at that moment and a chance to use one unforgivable at that moment, she'd be waving the two evil men on their way as she tortured her DADA teacher. Bitch.

Ella, never removing her penetrating glare from the evil cow stood at the front of the room, stormed out of the room, belining straight for the Gryffindor tower. She heard footsteps behind her ignoring them all the way and it wasn't until she felt large, warm hand reach out and take a hold of her wrist, just as she was about to mount the stairs to the girls' dorms and she turned around.

"What's wrong Elles-Bells?" Fred asked sweetly, using the nickname that had come about a few days previously as an attempt to annoy her which ended up sticking. Ella turned around, melting as their eyes met. Her breath caught as she went to speak and her voice broke. "shh, shh, it's alright. I'm here now," Fred pulled her into his chest as she began to sob sorrowfully for the first time in a long while. All the emotions she'd been putting in box and storing away for the past few months came flooding out.

When her sobs finally began to subside, Fred was still stroking her hair and holding her tight, patiently. Apologising profusely for wetting his shirt through with her tears, Ella sat up and wiped the running make up away from her face.

"I'm so sorry," She got up and went to run up the stairs to her dorm, suddenly aware of just how close her and Fred had been getting recently and scared that things might go too far once again.

"Elle," he caught her wrist firm but gently, "Please don't shut me out again. Let me help," He looked so sincere and almost vulnerable stood there pleading to her that she couldn't not nod, albeit slow and hesitant as she sucked in another staggered breath.

"It's nothing, it just got to me when she spoke about it all like that. After everything..." She trailed off, moving her pleading eyes up to meet his, begging him not to push her further for any explanation and he understood and just hugged her to him once again. He couldn't get over how right she felt there in his arms. No, he mentally slapped himself, he couldn't think of her as anything more than a friend. He felt like he was betraying her for just _thinking_ about it ever being anything more ever again. "I would never wish it anyone, not even her..." Ella added, pulling away from the hug and looking up at the tall boy once again.

"How about you let us help you prank the arse off her, would that help?" He said with a wicked grin that Ella couldn't help but laugh at. She didn't know where she'd be without his daft, goofy personality to make everything better. He was like her own personal fairy godmother...only a boy...and ginger...and slightly evil at times.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella entered her DADA teacher's office after dinner that night, with a repulsed grimace on her face at the excessive pink decor and sickly meow of cats that sat in hanging plates plastered all over the walls. Sat behind her mahogany desk, covered in a marshmallow pink doily, was the toad like women herself, wearing a frilly skirt suit to match the colour of her doily. Ella never wanted to see the colour pink in her life again.

"Ah Miss Potter," Umbridge said in such a sweet tone that if a stranger were to have been in the room, they might have genuinely believed the student was there for no more than evening tea and a little catch up, "do sit down," She gestured to the small table and chair at the other side of the room which had piece of parchment laid out on it with a quill.

Rolling her eyes, which didn't go unnoticed by Umbridge, Ella slumped down in the chair and picked up the quill.

"I need ink." Ella said shortly, wondering what sort of insane person forgot that you needed ink for a quill.

"This is a _special _quill, you don't need any ink," The professor giggled shrilly as she walked back to her desk, before seeming to remember something and walked back over to Ella, clearing her throat, "Oh and I think you should remember to watch your tone when you talk to me. You see, working the minster, I hear a lot of things...things that are quite big things to keep to myself and bad manners don't really make that any easier for me," She smiled sickeningly, turning to her desk once more looking far too satisfied for Ella's liking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ella snarled quietly, not allowing her sheer terror at the though of her secret being confirmed as more than just a vicious rumour show.

"Oh I think you know _exactly_ what I mean," the professor said, lowering her own voice, "it would be all too easy for me to confirm these rumours I hear flying around the students. I wonder what your poor boyfriend would say, he does admire you so," She feigned a deep repentant sigh," Ready to cooperate now?" She tilted her head as she smiled at her.

Ella didn't respond. She didn't know how to she just gulped and nodded her head shakily. She hated such submission to the authoritarian bitch but she had her trapped with no way out. She could never let Fred know who or what she really was. Nor Harry. They would both be disgusted. She wouldn't blame them if they never wanted to speak to her again.

"Good girl," The small stumpy professor said patronisingly, "Now I would like you to write 'I must be a dishonest tramp',"

Ella's mouth shot open to say something, but it only took one questioning look from the professor to silence her.

"How many times?" Ella resigned. What did this little piece of paper actually matter anyway? No one was ever going to see it and if it was enough to keep the evil toad like witch happy and keep her quiet then she was just going to have to suck it up.

"Just until the message really sinks in," She smiled smugly, giggling like a young girl at her first tea party with her stuffed toys and teddy bears.

Ella just once again rolled her eyes, though a bit more discreetly this time, and started to write the damned lines. However, soon the back of her left hand began to itch and burn intensely. Letting out a slight gasp of pain, she looked at her hand after itching fiercely at it. To her up most horror, the words she'd been scribbling out feverishly were now etched on the back of her hand, clear as day for anyone to see.

_I must not be a dishonest tramp_

Just looking at the words made her feel physically sick.

"Is anything wrong my dear?" The professor said, still keeping up her holier than thou act and now it was really starting to chap Ella's arse.

"I think it's sunk in alright," Ella snarled, slamming her quill down on the parchment, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the horrid room.

She was still in a blind fury when she stormed into the common room, which she expected to be empty by now. It was...nearly. Fred, George, Lee, Angelina and Katie were all sat on the sofas in front of the fire, talking idly when Ella came storming in like a whirlwind.

"You not joining us?" George called over to her from where they all sat. The two girls instantly realised that something was up but said nothing.

Reluctantly, not wanting to cause them to worry or fuss, Ella turned away from her direct path to her dorm and joined the group, sitting next to Fred, where she snuggled into the comfort of his side.

"How was detention with the beast?" He teased as she leaned into his broad shoulder, wrapping an arm around her and running a hand absent-mindedly down her forearm in various patterns that would normally ease her tension but now only increased it.

"Erm, fine." Ella answered shortly, but on seeing their confused and worried faces she added, "I'm just tired, I think I'm going to head up," She swiftly pushed herself out of Fred's arms and headed for the girls' dormitory stairs, but as always, she didn't quite get their before Fred caught up with her.

Holding her wrist gently, he leaned close to her so as none of the others could hear him, "We need to talk, my room,"

**A/N: Hi guys, thanks for your continued support but once again won't be updating until I have recieved at least 2 reviews. Is it really all that much to ask for? Thanks x**


	47. Sun, Sex and Suspicious Teachers

**A/N: Warning, very mature content**

Chapter 47

"we need to talk, my room now," Fred instructed rather than asked, dropping her wrist and waltzing off to his room, allowing her to chose whether she followed or not. But it was a choice that her mind took no part in as before she even realised what she was doing, her feet had already carried her half way up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

When she reached the twins' and Lee's room, Fred was waiting for her, holding the door open and closing it behind her when she entered. She opened her mouth in an attempt to break the ice but she was cut off.

"What's happened?" He asked bluntly, almost sounding annoyed with her.

"W...what?" Ella stuttered, taken aback and terrified that he was referring to the rumour going around as opposed to anything else.

"The detention, you're acting wired so something's happened," He stated matter of factually. Ella looked around the room, the look in her eye lost and wild.

"I...I don't-"

"I know you well enough to know when you're feeding my full of shit. Now what's happened?" He said sternly again but on seeing the panicked and alarmed wildness to her eyes his face and tone softened and he sat next to her on his bed, taking her petite hands in his. "Please tell me," His warm golden eyes were so sweet and pleading that she just wanted to run, not wanting to infect his perfect, ignorant innocence with her fucked up past.

"Err..." She faultered looking at her and then to her hand fleetingly, quickly removing her gaze so Fred couldn't follow it but it was too late.

"What's this?" He reached for her hand to get a closer look but she whipped it behind her back before he could.

"Nothing." She far too quickly for his liking. "Just scratched it earlier in quidditch," She shrugged, making her way to leave but Fred was one step ahead of her.

"Ella, what _is _that on your hand," He stood in front of the door, blocking her exit, grabbing hold of her hand much rougher than he intended to but he wasn't going to let her bury her problems and shut herself off from everyone again, no way.

He gasped, dropping her hand in shock, as he read the words etched onto it.

_I must not be a dishonest tramp_

"Please don't tell me this is was _her_," His voice was low and dangerous as it shook. "Please," Ella still said nothing, not being able to bring herself to meet his burning eye contact. Her hand tingled and shivered at the memory of his touch. "It was wasn't it," He whispered, physically shaking with anger now.

Ella nodded, cautiously glancing up at him, scared to see his reaction. "She had this quill and I wrote the lines just to shut her up, but then it did..._this..._" Her voice shook nervously awaiting for the explosion, "By the time I realised what it was doing to me, it was too late," She met Fred's gaze to see his eyes not filled with anger and aggression as she'd expected but sadness and something else she couldn't quite place.

He stepped forward and wrapped her up in his arms to try and ease her shaking. "Oh Ella," he kissed the top of her head protectively, "You have to let us get her back now though. She can't get away with it,"

Ella looked up at him pensively, resting her hands delicately on his toned chest. She really couldn't think of how she ever managed without him, but then that was just it; she hadn't. She'd become a complete and utter train wreck over the summer, drinking pretty much around the clock, becoming wreckless, smoking all sorts of drugs both legal and illegal and worst of all, she'd allowed herself to cut everyone else off around her and it pained her to think of how much it must of hurt them to have to sit and watch her do that to herself and not be able to a single thing.

Finally, she sighed deeply, "Please just don't do anything that will get you into too much trouble, okay?"

"Define 'too much trouble'," He said with a cheeky wink, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ella threw her head back and laughed, hitting him in the chest, "I'm being serious," She said when she calmed down.

"Do you always laugh when you're serious," He teased her, moving his hands to her waist, tickling her feverishly.

"Stop it you idiot," She just about managed to wheeze out through her screams of laughter, thrashing and kicking as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

Finally, with a thud, he chucked her down on his bed and continued his relentless tickling.

"FRED!" She screamed, tears of laughter running down her face. The message on her hand now a figment of the past. "Get...off...me..."

He stopped abruptly, hovering over her with a wicked grin on his face. The boy could teach an imp how to grin puckishly.

Ella felt the heat in her cheeks begin to creep up as she remembered how it had ended last time they'd been in this exact position. Shit. _Friends, just friends_, she kept saying over and over in her head. She looked at him with resolution in her eyes. She just didn't want to spend the night alone, she could do that as just friends couldn't she?

"Better?" He wiggled his eyebrows as he shifted himself so he was further up her body than he had been previously, so his face was no hovering just above her chest. Ella's breath hitched at his close proximity.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked quietly, running a hand through his messy hair, which he'd cut over the summer but it still managed to always look like he was fresh out of bed.

He looked at her, a bit shocked. He hadn't expected her to be the one to ask, but he was definitely glad she had. It had been far too long since he'd held her in his arms, he decided as they settled down after changing into their night stuff. Ella was dressed in one of Fred's shirts whilst he was just in his boxers.

They lay there in silence, content in the feel of each other, as they listened to the rest of the door come to bed, from the other side of the curtains. When they could here the definite snores of Ella nudged Fred to see if he was still awake.

"Fred?" She whispered, listening closely to his steady breaths and relishing in the warmth and comfort that his arms provided.

"Yeah?" He whispered back, obvious that he too hadn't been asleep, wanting to remember the feeling of her in his arms too much to waist it in an unconscious state.

"When you say that you're going to 'get' her, what do you mean?" Ella asked timidly, slightly nervous for the response. Fred didn't answer straight away but just chuckled quietly in her ear, subconsciously drawing patterns on her forearm.

"Let's just say it's going to be a prank to outdo any others," She could feel him grin from behind her as they spooned, even though it was pitch black, she knew exactly what kind of smile would be plastered across his handsome face.

Ella groaned, rolling over to face him, "Don't do anything I wouldn't be okay with," She said sternly, not sure when she turned into the one trying to control the boys.

"On the contrary ma cherie," He teased, putting on his best french accident, "You're going to help us come up with it," He whispered into her ear so she could feel the burning heat of his breath prick her skin.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat at the table in the corner of the common room, working feverishly at a potions essay that Snape had set them. She wanted to be a healer when she left school, meaning she had to get at least an E in potions, but preferably an O. The pressure was on. It had gotten to lunchtime when she glanced at her watch but she quickly decided she didn't have time for lunch if she wanted to get this damn essay done in time to go out to Hogsmead that night with the twins, Lee, Katie and Angelina.

She looked up as she heard someone clearing there throat above her, to see Fred stood there smiling down at her, holding a plate full of food in his hands.

"I thought I didn't see you at lunch so I brought you some," He smiled, taking the seat next to her and placing the plate over her work.

"If you've smudged my ink so help me Merlin, I will-" She began to threaten before she realised what a bitch she was being when he'd just done something so kind and thoughtful. Something most girls would kill for their boyfriend to do for them. Urgh, but he _wasn't_ her boyfriend and she had to remember that. "Thanks," She smiled, "but you really didn't have to you know, I could have lasted a few more hours until dinner,"

Just as she said this, her stomach gave a loud low growl and grumble to say otherwise. Fred looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"You're telling me you could've really gone another five hours," He teased her, earning him a scowl as she began tucking into the cheese and onion toastie with a salad garnish, her favourite. It was times like these she struggled to remember why she'd ever let him go. _  
_

"Aren't you eating?" she asked between bites, as he just sat and watched her.

"No, I have two lunches. One at 11 and one at 2, neither of which is now therefore I'm not eating," He responded casually as though it was the most normal thing in the world to have two lunches. But then, what was normal in the world of Fred Weasley.

"You seriously have _two_ lunches?" Ella chuckled, astonished at how long she'd been so close to him and not noticed that he had two lunches everyday, neither at the normal lunch time.

"So does George," He tried to defend himself, "We used to think everyone did. I don't get how you lot can all go all day with only one meal," He shrugged nonchalantly. Ella laughed as he still instinctively reached out for one of her slices of cucumber.

"Most people manage Fred," She rolled her eyes.

He leaned forward, closer to her, licking his lips "I'm much more interesting than most people," He said, biting the chunk of cucumber in her hand.

"And much hungrier," Ella laughed, swatting him away, "anyway so what time we going out tonight then?" Ella asked, keen to put a bit of distance inbetween their faces.

"We're not anymore," He shrugged before continuing, being prompted by Ella's expecting scowl, "Well I'm not now anyway,"

"oh and you thought that I wouldn't go just because you weren't?" Ella challenged, raising a dangerous eyebrow.

"no, George and I aren't going because Alicia caught wind of our plans and wants to tag along," he shrugged. Ella cursed inwardly, having expected a much shitter and more self absorbed excuse.

"Well, in that case then I'm not going either," she stuck her nose up in the air, not wishing to see his smug grin. "So what are we planning on doing then?"

"Well, I was thinking we could plot our prank for Umbitch then carry it out tonight," he wiggled his eyebrows in excitement.

Ella pushed away her now empty plate and folded up the piece of parchment below it, seeing as though it was obvious she wasn't going to be able to get any actual work done any time soon. "So what are we thinking for this plan?" she smiled deviously as she pictured the look of pure horror on her DADA teacher's face. A face she'd sobadly wanted to smack. "Laxatives? Dungbombs?" She suggested but Fred just shook his head.

"All too mediocre," He said intesnely, pulling out a spare scrap of parchment and pulling Ella's quill from her to scribble down any ideas.

Just at that moment, Fred's twin came bounding down the stairs of the boys' dormitories and also pulled up a chair.

"This prank needs to be like none we've pulled before," George confirmed his twin's statement. So the trio sat and planned and plotted until their heads physically hurt and they were mentally worn out.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

It was 9 o'clock that night when the threesome met up in the boys' room, reading and raring to put their plan in motion. They were all dressed in completely black, with various disillusionment charms placed on them so as they wouldn't stand out. They had synchronised their watches so they were all perfectly in sync with one another, down to the second.

Ella entered the dorm wearing skin tight black leggings, black boots to just below the knee and a snug long sleeved, v neck t-shirt. Fred had to physically turn away to stop himself from staring at her, as her long dark hair cascaded down her back in messy waves as always.

"You ready to go then?" She prompted the twins, who now seemed in no hurry to leave and soon Ella saw why.

"For luck and courage?" George held up a bottle of firewhisky, as Fred placed three glasses on the floor for his twin to fill. Ella just rolled her eyes, bloody boys and their drinking. Although, she had to admit, she could kill for a drink.

A couple of shots of firewhisky later, the trio set out on their mission. Except Ella, being the complete and utter lightweight she was, kept stumbling, tripping and erupting into fits of giggles. As they approached the professor's office, they came to a halt and Fred talked them all through the plan for one last time.

"Right, so George," He looked at his twin as Ella lent against the wall to steady her swaying, "You're going to create a distraction down the hall, but remember that you _can't _be caught, okay?" George nodded. "Meanwhile," Fred continued, pulling Ella off of the walls and steadying her himself, "Ella and I are going to sneak into Umbitch's office, got it?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh I got it alright," She giggled again. Drunks were so bloody annoying when you aren't pissed yourself.

With that, George took his position down the hall whilst Fred and Ella took theirs, hidden behind a suit of armour, just outside of the office that was about to be attacked. On cue a loud bang went off from down the hall, followed by another and another. Playing the part of the predictable, angry toad teacher perfectly, Umbridge came storming out her office, also right on cue, leaving behind her a trail of her vile smelling perfume and an unguarded office.

Quickly the pair shot into the office, closing the door behind them. Fred had to fight the sick rising up his throat as he looked around in disgust at the hordes of meowing cats and pink and fluff of the room. Not to mention the horribly sickly sweet smell of her cheap tacky perfume. Wasting no time, they began levitating all her furniture and belongings to the ceiling and sticking them there with a permanent sticking charm.

Satisfied that almost all the content of the office was now firmly stuck to the ceiling, leaving only her pink frilly rug in the centre of the floor, Fred and Ella - whom with the action and excitement had sobered up quickly - began to conjure slimy, croaking frogs (or very realistic, moving replicas of them) from the tips of their wands, sending them hopping around the room at their free will. Soon enough the room was almost full of the slimy creatures, hopping joyously around the floor and across the upside down, handing furniture.

All they had left to do was to charm the frogs to all explode, sending gallons of slimy goop flying around the room, at precisely the right moment. Two minutes times should be just about the right time. Sure enough, by 9:49pm the frogs were all charmed to explode, emitting their guts and gore flying around the room, at precisely 9:51.

Just as they were about to leave, they heard footsteps nearing.

"Shit," Fred cursed under his breath as he realised they were too close for them to make a dash for it out of the door, so quickly hid behind the door, pulling Ella with him, hooking one of his arms around her waist, the other firmly over her mouth to suppress any noise of surprise she might give out, but she did no such thing. She understood exactly what was happening and remained in his arms, behind the door without so much as an audible breath.

Sure enough, the toad like professor came storming through her office door and stopped dead, in the of the entrance, mouth open wide as she took in the spectacle before her. For the first time, she was truly lost for words. Seeing this might be their only opportunity to get out before the eruption of goo and Frog intestine that should be due to go off at any minute, Fred grabbed Ella's wrist and pulled her out of the door, slamming it shut behind them. Fortunately for them, their professor was still too shocked at what she'd returned to her office to find to barely notice the sudden movement and loud bang of the closure of the door behind her.

"She's so thick some times," Fred stood outside the office, waiting for the commotion on the other side of the door to begin, "How did she even get the job?" He sneered.

"Probably slept with Fudge," Ella shrugged as though she'd merely told Fred that she'd had for dinner that night, "she does seem weirdly in love with him, doesn't she?" Fred realised that this was indeed to true. It was always 'Cornelius this...' or 'the minister that...' and it was always to sing his praises. Personally Fred found the man a coward and despicable for the public humiliation and attack he'd launched on the two Potter siblings, after all they'd been through and seen that horrid night.

Taking the opportunity in the quiet before the storm, Ella stepped forward towards the office door and, using her wand, began to write the word 'toad' in large white letters across it, for everyone to see. Cruel, she knew. But how better than to deal with a bitch than be an ever bigger bitch back?

As she stood back to admire to admire her handy work, on the other side of the door, inside the office, bedlam began and boy did it sound chaotic. Before either of the two teens had chance to move, a loud piercing scream came from inside the office, instantly causing them both to double over in laughter. Within seconds, the door was flung open to reveal a goo sodden, guts covered, severely pissed off looking Professor Umbridge and Ella just wished there was a way she could replay this moment over and over again. It was brilliant, but just such a shame that it was only Fred and her who had to privilage to enjoy such a wonderful sight.

"YOU TWO STOP RIGHT THERE!" She screetched as she saw the two students make a run for not, furious that she hadn't had chance to see their faces and catch the culprits for the vile prank they'd played on her, after all she didn't know the toads were indeed fake. She chased them down various corridors, with them running so fast they could hardly catch their breath, proving their quidditch training wasn't nearly as effective as it ought to be, but then again, their shortness of breath could also be blamed on the amount they were laughing.

Finally, they reached the main entrance and ducked out of it quickly. Behind them, they heard a loud shout of fury and the entrance to the castle slammed shut. Shit.

"Bollocks," Fred wheezed finally, when they decided they were probably far enough away to be safe, "How are we going to get back in?" He exclaimed throwing his hands in the air. It was now nearing the end of October and it was bloody freezing. Winter was fast approaching and the nights were often now wet, cold, miserable and long. Oh, how very long. They were going to freeze to death if they were going to stay out here all night, not to mention getting caught.

"I've got an idea," Ella said thoughtfully, setting off in the opposite direction to the castle. The girl was barking mad, Fred thought. Surely, they wanted to be trying to get back into the castle, not get further away from it.

His suspicions about her being mad were confirmed when he realised the place she was so determinedly headed for was, in fact, the infamous violent whomping willow tree. It had only just about nearly killed both of their younger brothers three years ago, when his father's flying car, which Ron had been driving, crashed head first into it.

"Are you mad?!" He exclaimed but she either didn't hear him or just ignored him. She had already begun levitating a fallen stick from the ground nearby and used it to put pressure on a knot at the foot of the tree, causing its thrashing branches to still, reminding Fred of an out of control dragon that his brother Charlie had been working with when they'd finally shot a tranquilizer dart into it.

"Just a genius," She said with triumph as she watched his face drop in awe, "You can just call me Dumbledore from now on," She winked at him, leading Fred the the opening of the passage.

"Wow, never imagined you with a long white beard before but is it wierd that I'm finding it quite an attractive image?" Fred pondered as they trapsed down the long winding passage. "Ow!" He exclaimed as he received a well deserved clip around the ears as they entered the shrieking shack.

"You better not be turning gay on me now Fred Weasley, what _did_ Alicia do to you," She teased.

"Oh, would that really concern you now if I was gay?" He raised a suggestive eyebrow that still made Ella's heart flutter even after all this time. Why did the bloody boy have to be so charming.

Without another word other than a scowl towards him, Ella led them to the make shift sitting room that she'd met Sirius and Remus in all that time ago. It was just as she'd remembered it, old, dusty but cozy and homely once she'd lit the fire with her wand. She charmed a deep red rug, that had been rolled up and stood in a corner, to unroll and dust itself off before settling just in front of the fire.

Next, she went rustling around through various cupboards and cabinets at the other side of the room, which all seemed to be empty to Fred. Finally, she found what she was looking for. "Aha!" She in triumph, proud of how well she'd remembered where Sirius had mentioned he and the boys had always kept a spare bottle of firewhisky for 'special occasions'. Then again, it was funny how much her concentration seemed to increase when alcohol was involved, that was until she'd devoured it and was lying in a helpless heap on the floor.

Throwing herself back on the rug, next to Fred, she cracked open the bottle and took a large swig from it. Passing it to him, he did the same and they continued in this pattern with a companionable quiet until they started to feel the effects of the alcohol kicking in.

"Urgh, it's quidditch practice in the morning," Fred groaned in horror at thought of having to get up and actually be productive at the crack of dawn with the killer hangover he was bound to have, "Ange's gonna kill us if we don't turn up,"

He took another large gulp from the whisky, to banish these horrible thoughts.

"I don't know, if we explain about our revenge on Umbitch then I think she might just let us off," Ella slurred, giggling drunkenly at the memory of their DADA teacher covered in guts and slime and the thought of how all her belongings were most likely still all magically stuck to the ceiling of her office. Fred too cracked up at the memory and soon the pair were lying on their backs in a hysteric, raucous laughter which filled the entire room until their stomachs physically ached.

Finally, after their laughter began to subside, Ella sat up with a serious look on her face, "You know what gets me?"

Fred just chuckled at her quick mood change, propping himself up on his arms lazily, raising an eyebrow, "what?"

"That we obviously still have this amazing sexual chemistry and here we both are not getting laid," Ella said nonchalantly. Soberly, she would have knocked Fred completely off his guard, as he'd been adamant that she couldn't still see him that way after everything and all this time of being just friends. However, drunk Fred had knew that he'd been wishing for this for ages now and was going to jump at the opportunity.

"You saying you want to sleep with me?" He raised his eyebrows, pushing himself more upright, allowing his mouth to linger tantalisingly close to Ella's.

However, Ella didn't reply. Instead, she just leant forward and pressed her lips hard against his. Fred reciprocated the kiss with the same force, running his tongue along her bottom lip asking for entry, which he was quickly granted. The kiss soon began to grow in passion and fierceness as Ella climbed onto his lap, straddling him, as the kiss deepened at the new angle. She felt one hand run down her back to rest on her perfectly round bottom and the other tangle itself in her, now even messier, hair. He'd forgotten how lusciously endless her legs were as he ran his hands up her thighs.

"1 rule," Ella said assertively.

"Anything," Fred groaned into her neck.

"No emotions, this is purely just for the sex," He nodded his agreement, groaning as she went back to kissing him fiercely.

"are you sure you want-" Fred began to say as the final part of his brain that was remaining tried to kick in but when he looked up at Ella, she had discarded her top and was now straddling him in just her bra. All thought left him.

All the air was forcibly removed from her lungs as her bra was quickly removed and replaced with Fred's mouth over one of her boobs, his hand teasing the other one. Her back arched into him and she let out a loud groan.

"Why haven't we done this sooner?" She panted but all he did was grin as he continued to send shivers down her spine with expertly perfected flicks of his tongue along her abdomen. It was that grin that infuriated her- it was so smug. Sure that she was going to melt and collapse into a puddle, like putty in his hands, she forced herself to try and regain some control. She wasn't going to be completely helpless at his hands, no matter how masterful they were.

She moved her mouth to his neck, where she began nipping and kissing lightly until the softest of groans escaped from his mouth. They were both completely naked within a matter of seconds. Putting his hands exactly where she wanted them, she curled her own hand around his hardened length, rubbing softly up and down. Fred moved his hand from her hip to her throbbing core, giving it much welcomed attention. But Ella wasn't about to surrender control. She moved his hand back to her hip and fixed her eyes onto his.

"Watch me," She breathed raggedly.

She sank onto him slowly. Too slowly. There would be plenty of time for haste and quick, rough sex against a wall later, but for now she wanted to make him lose everything before she gave it all back to him. It took almost everything she had to not give into her instincts, which she'd been ignoring for far too long. It had been too long since she'd felt _this_. This want to give someone please, this want to receive it, this pleasure. She pushed her hips down further.

By the time he was all the way into her, Fred's fingers were gripping so hard it was almost painful, his teeth gritted hard. She ran her hands teasingly through his hair , now her turn to grin. "Something the matter?"

"Move, Elle, _move," _He groaned, close to losing all self control. He'd never felt such a deep wanting in his life.

Laughing breathlessly, she did. They rose and fell together. There bodies were gleaming in sweat and bursting with pleasure. It cracked along Ella's nerves like lightening, setting everything screaming. It could have been aloud; she would have never known. The orgasms weren't slow in coming for either of them, but they were no less intense when they came. Ella went rigid first, shuddering with the climax. Fred fucked her through her peak to reach his own, which occurred only a moment after hers.

All bones removed from her body, Ella slumped forward, grinning widely. "We should do that more often," She said breathlessly.

He pushed a sweat streaked hair off of her forehead with the arm that wasn't wrapped around her waist, before replying, "Oh we will,"

**A/N: Hope that wasn't too graphic for you and that you all enjoyed it :) please review and let me know what you think , do we like smut or not so much? This is my longest chapter so far and as before I won't be updating until at least 2 reviews as you honestly wouldn't believe how much more motivation I have to write and update when I'm getting feedback, even if it's constructive critism. I don't mind critism at all as long as it's constructive and can help me to improve. Thanks and remember to read, review and enjoy :) x**


	48. Just Friends'

Ella felt strong muscular arms, which were oddly familiar - like a pair of old boots- , wrap around her waist as she started to wake up, her head banging. As she shuffled to get comfy, she heard the person behind her stir, waking her up a bit and bringing her to her senses. She sat bolt upright, breathing fast and erratic until she saw the arms belonged to an all too familiar red head.

Opening one eye, he peered up at her with a bemused expression on his face. "You not hanging out your arse?" He said with a chuckle, re-closing his eyes as the light began to trickle into the warm room, with the only other source of light being from the smouldering fire which they were lay in front of. With a defeated grunt and sigh, Ella snugglked back down, into Fred's arms once again and began to doze off when she remembered where they were meant to be.

"Fred," She whispered, taking his steady breaths to mean that he too was on the verge of dozing back off, "What time is it?"

With much huffing and puffing of irritation, he eventually had sufficiently to see his watch and grumbled, "7:45,"

"SHIT!" Ella sat bolt upright, much to his annoyance, "Get up you numbskull, we were meant to be out on the quidditch field at half 7!" She lept up and begna to frantically collect her clothes and get dressed. She quickly shoved her hair up into a messy pony tails, which was even messier than normal and that was a pretty big achievement.

By the time she'd gotten herself ready, Fred saw sat on the sofa fully dressed and ready to go. Hurriedly, the pair made their way down to the pitch, both fearful of how well they'd be able to handle their friend's rants and yells at them with their heads throbbing as badly as they did.

"Fred?" Ella asked as they neared the pitch, "Last night..."

"Was amazing," He finished before she could start trying to make crappy excuses as to why they couldn't do it again.

"It was," She sighed heavily, "but can we not tell anyone?"

"Sure," He shrugged, he got to be with her again and for now, that was all that mattered, "what you said about last night about it just being casual..."

"Still applies. I'm not ready for anything more, just need to blow off some steam,"

"Well I can hardly complain," This was most lads' fantacies. A hot girl, who he had amazing chemistry with, wanted to just shag. Nothing else. No complications, no feelings, nothing to make it crappy and hard. Except, there _was_ feelings there. Or at least, there had been last time. It was a case of how long would it be until these feelings all returned like a great flood. Or had they never left?

They'd barely put two feet on the quidditch pitch before the yell of their captain could be heard from the air above, as she stopped and dismounted her broom in one impressive fluid motion, before storming over to the exceptionally late pair.

"What kind of time do you call this?!" She yelled angrily at them.

"Look, Ang-" Ella tried to begin to explain but she was promptly cut off by her raging friend.

"I didn't kick Alicia off the team just for you two to rock up whenever you fancy. I know that we're friends but it's not one rule for you and one for everyone else-"

"Angelina, for fuck sake will you shut up for a minute," Fred said in an uncharacteristically icy tone. Angelina bit back on her tongue, looking over to her best friend to see if she, too, seemed to be hostile.

She wasn't. Ella looked at her friend with a warm and bemused expression. "Ange, should we go have a chat in the stands while Fred goes and practises?" Ella prompted her...well...what ever he was' leaving, so as to give the two girls a bit of time for Ella to explain her story.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"so are you two back together then?" Angelina asked excitedly as the two girls made their way up to the castle, after she'd dismissed practise, so they could get ready in time for first lesson, which was charms for Ella and Herbology for Angelina.

"No, not at all really," Ella shrugged indifferently but Angelina just gawped at her disnelievingly.

"So what? was it just a one of thing then?"

"well...no not exactly. We're still going to be friends, jusy friends who have sex,"

"So you're telling me that _you _are using _Fred Weasley - _who, I might add, is infamous for using others- for sex. _You're _using _him...for sex..." _Angelina scoffed in disbelief. _  
_

Ella just shrugged. "I don't know, I started to say it shouldn't happen again but then I realised that I wanted it to, just not in a relationship,"

Angelina gawped at her friend. She was really saying this. "What ever you say," she laughed as they entered the Gryffindor tower.

The rest of the day dragged excruciatingly slowly for Ella, not sharing any of her classes that day with either the twins or Angelina - not to mention the fact that Alicia was also in all of them that day. However, there was one benefit of having Alicia around a lot that day and it was the internal victorious feeling of triumph over the girl, although she didn't know her loss. Ella knew she was being silly and petty but a small part of her loved every single second of it.

Finally, the bell for the end of the last lesson of the day sounded and the students were released from their misery.

As Ella entered the common room, she saw her brother sat in the corner of the room, looking as though he was attempting to concentrate on some work, but failing due to the thunderous look on his face.

Timidly, she approached him, not wanting to aggravate him if he was already upset.

"Hey Harry, what's up?" Ella said kindly, taking the seat next to him.

He looked up, startled, not having seen her coming. He'd obviously been in a world completely of his own. "Harry, what's happened?" Ella asked again, this time with much more concern and worry in her voice. Her eyes quickly darted to his hand where she saw red scratches, similar to her own except much deeper.

"Nothing..." He mumbled, quickly moving his hand out her view but she'd already grabbed it.

"Harry, how many times has she made you write those God damn awful lines?" Ella seethed at the thought of that toad hurting her little brother like that. It was only the two of them left and if they didn't look after each other, no one would.

"just a few," He shrugged miserably and Ella knew not to push it any further. After all, she knew the exact pain he was feeling then. That feeling of being helpless and on your own. It was one she knew all too well. And, as one always done when so familiar with a pain, she knew exactly how to remedy it; laughter.

Ella went on to describe hers and the twins' prank the previous night and took great enjoyment and satisfaction in describing in exact detail, the look of sheer horror and shock on the horrible woman's face when she entered her office, then the one of complete disgust as she came out covered in, what she believed to be, frog guts. It was priceless and the memories of it brought tears to both of the siblings' eyes.

~~~~~C~~~~~

Later that day, Ella was once again sat in Defence Against the Dark Arts, going through the limitless list of things she would rather be doing than sat there, listening to the repulsive teacher squawk on and on in her painful voice. However, this lesson was marginally better than the usual ones, but only because everytime Ella looked up at the professor's face, she would get a hilarious flashback to the previous night, that caused her to stuff her fists into her mouth in order to stop herself from bursting out in rambuncious laughter.

Just when she thought that she might drift off into a boredom induced coma, a small crumpled up piece of paper landed on her desk. As she opened it, she recognised the messy scrawl immediately.

_Meet me in the Astronomy tower later, tell no one _

She couldn't help but smile and chuckle, despite herself. She looked over to the red headed culprit and just shook her head as he winked at her.

_I'm busy, better luck next time_

She didn't manage to stifle her laughter when she saw the cocky, self assured grin slide off his face and smash into a million pieces on the cold hard floor as he realised he'd just been blown off.

"Miss Potter, will you please pay attention to what you're meant to be doing rather than focusing on the male population of this classroom!" The toad like teacher shrieked shrilly. Ella just glared at her, refusing to give her the satisfaction by reacting. Instead, with a flashback of the previous night's prank, she made a small 'rib-bit' noise, covering it quickly with a cough. There was a loud snort from the back row, where the twins were sat, instantly setting Ella and Angelina and before they knew it, the four of them were being sent out.

"Common room or go for a wander?" George asked the two girls, who decided they'd rather go for a walk through the grounds. They had far too much energy than was good for them, for no apparent reason.

"Where's Fred?" Ella asked, suddenly realised why it felt empty. She could have sworn he'd been next to her as they'd left the classroom.

"Probably goofing around somewhere," George shrugged with an all too knowing grin, confirming her suspicions that somewhere, something was being plotted. Just as she was sighing and rolling her eyes, she heard a class room door near her click open and a large hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her in.

Before she could even see who the person using this gorilla warfaer was, a warm familiar pair of lips came crashing onto her, so passionately it sent shivers down her neck. He moved away from her mouth and suck and nipped a delicate path down her neck to her collarbone with his tauntingly talented mouth.

"Fred," She gasped as his hands began to work their way down to her backside, and lifted her up, pinning her between him and the wall, in one swift move. She let a small moan escape from her lips as she felt his excitement press against her inner thigh.

"I've not been able to stop thinking about you," He panted between kisses, resting his forehead on hers.

"Me neither," She gasped breathily, tugging at his messy hair in a desperate need to be as close as possible to him, but suddenly she had an overwhelming desire that she couldn't explain, "Wait,"

He looked up at her, breathing heavily himself, with a curious look on his face. "What is it?" He asked with such a kindness that it made her heart melt.

A wicked smirk pulled at the corners of her lips as she realised she had him exactly where she wanted. She had him at her command and it made her feel powerful, something she hadn't felt in far too long a time. With her smirk growing ever bigger as the look on Fred's face got increasingly confused, Ella slid out of from where she'd been perched, straightened her clothes and sautered out seductively, without even a single glance back.

"Fuck," Fred rubbed his forehead, leaning against the cold stone wall. Girls were more unpredictable than the freaking weather

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat with her brother the next evening, after tea, helping him to plan the next DA meeting. They had been going really well, better than expected actually. Sure, Umbridge had started to get a bit suspicious but as they proved last night, she wasn't anything they couldn't handle and everyone was genuinely enjoying themselves whilst learning a lot and improving greatly. Ella had always known her brother would be a great teacher, he just had that natural confidence about him, which would only grow once he lost his gawky awkward teenage boy thing he had going on, especially whenever Cho Chang was around.

"Thanks Elle," Harry smiled at her as he gathered up his books. It was hard to believe that only just over a year ago, he didn't even know who she was, and now they were so close.

Just at that moment, Angelina bounded over to the table, her dark hazel eyes glimmering in the low candle light, clutching a bunch of papers in her hand.

"I've drawn up a new rota for quidditch practices," She announced sounding wired on a severe coffee high. The two siblings took their rotas, inwardly groaning when they saw a bunch of six am starts, "Oh and I can't seem to find George, I caught Fred, but I've got so many people to hand these damn things out to still, so would you be able to Ella?" She asked her friend with that million dollar smile of hers that she used whenever she wanted something.

Ella shook her head at her friend's predictability but agreed to do so all the same. So, waving a quick farewell to her brother, promising to be back shortly, she skipped up the stairs to the boys' dorms and entered the Twins' and Lee's room without knocking, walking into a half dressed Fred.

"Have you seen George anywhere?" She asked, her eyes betraying her attempt of making him chase her by trailing down his bare chest in admiration.

"And here was me thinking that you'd come to see me," Fred smirked, closing the distance between them, taking the paper sheet out of her hand and tossing it to the floor.

"You do flatter yourself, don't you," She smirked back, thinking she'd won but before she could say anything else, she was being pressed up between the cold, wallpapered dormitory wall and Fred's hot, hard bare chest, being ravished with his wonderfully talented mouth as it made a pathway of kisses down her, to her collarbones. His musky smell flooded her nostrils as her eyes fluttered shut.

Ella couldn't have said how it happened, she couldn't remember, but the next she remembers after the blur of hot steamy kisses, the pair of them were lying naked in Fred's bed, him straddling her hips. She let out a sharp gasp of pleasure as he seperated her legs and entered her in one swift movement. It is was a blur of hot, steaming passion and they eventually finished together, lying panting in a tangled heap of limbs and bed sheets.

They lay in a comfortable silence, regaining their strength, as Fred drew lazy patterns on her bare flesh with his fingers. He started on her shoulder, moving down to her chest and when he reached her abdomen he failed to muffle a small gasp of surprise and his eyes laid upon the deep, fleshy scar that ran along the center of her otherwise perfect porcelain stomach.

"Is that from that night over summer?" He gasped in disbelief before he could stop himself, realising immediately afterwards that they had never spoken about what precisely had happened that awful night over the summer.

"I met a man in a bar, had a few drinks with him but it turns out he wasn't so happy when I rejected him," She shrugged, quickly trying to cover the ugly scar with the bed covers, hoping he'd stop the questions. Thankfully, he seemed satisfied by her answer, but moved the bed cover that she'd placed over it and began to trace it again with his finger.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of it," He whispered breathily, his lips hovering over hers "You didn't ask for it, you fought him. You were strong," He said gently before moving to kiss her again. The kiss grew in passions but still stayed gentle and sweet, with no urgency, just the mutual longing for that moment to never end.

However, it was interupted all too soon when the dorm room door was flung open as George and Lee came in, laughing about some thing or another.

Fred broke away from the kiss to glare at the two boys, but didn't move from his position on top of her in order to make sure she was covered.

"Oh shit," Lee mumbled in embarrassment, instantly turning to leave the room. However George didn't quite share his urgency.

"Now now mon frère," He chuckled in sheer delight at catching his twin in such a position with that specific girl, giving him ample opportunities to rip him to shreds at will, an opportunity not to be missed in any case, "I guess someone forgot to lock the door. And Ella," He now directed his words to the girl who'd been lying under his twni before she readjusted them so the couple were sat up side by side, both sufficiently covered by bedding, "I wonder what little Harry is going to say when he hears what you've been doing while he's been sat downstairs waiting for you return," His impish grin reached his eyes as he teased the pair.

"Fuck off for a second will you, so I can at least put some clothes on," She rolled her eyes at the ginger boy who was stood by his own bed, clearly milking the situation for all it was worth. To this he just turned around as he continued to taunt and tease them.

"I promise not to peak," He joked as he began to look out the window, pretending to see something really quite interesting. When the two were once again fully clothed, they each took a seat on the edge of the bed, grimacing in apprehension for the grilling to begin.

George, right on cue, began with the questions, "So when did all _this_ begin again, eh?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and he was certain he saw a small smile pull at Ella's lips. _  
_

"Well it's really a thing, we're just friends," Ella shrugged nonchalantly.

"Okay, so when did all this 'just friends' thing start then?"

"Last night really," Ella shrugged again, not noticing how suspiciously quiet Fred was being as she stood to leave. "Oh and George," She turned back around at the door, "say a thing to my brother and I will have your testicles on a plate, understood?" She threatened in such a sweet, innocent tone, she could have been asking a grandparent for money to buy an ice cream.

As she sauntered out the room, Fred let out a loud groan and lay back on his bed, cradling his head in his hands.

"From what I saw when I walked in, that didn't just look like a friends with benefits kinda situation, mate," George commented, seeing his brother's pain and frustration.

"Can you even _be _just friends who have sex after going through everything we have?" Fred groaned in exasperation. He'd always thought that he'd had commitment issues but Ella's denial issues were possibly even bigger.

"I feel for you mate," George patted his brother on the back, "I really do,"

**So that's another chapter out. Sorry for the wait but I just couldn't find the motivation to write if I'm being honest. I know it's shorter than the recent ones have been but review and let me know what you think and give your suggestions for where the story should go next (although I have a fairly certain idea, suggestions are always nice). Thanks, Charlotte**


	49. Two Can't keep a Secret if One's dead

A week had passed since Lee and George had walked in on Ella and Fred, and the two boys were still ensuring that they maximised their chance of ridiculing the pair. The group of Gryffindors were sat at the lunch table, waiting to head off to their next lesson, which happened to be potions.

"Hey Elle," Harry smiled as he took a seat next to his sister, Hermione and Ron in tow.

"Alright then mini-Potter, just refuse to acknowledge the rest of us then," George teased the younger boy boisterously before shoveling another mouthful of his beef sandwich.

"What's with your constantly high mood at the minute," Ron glowered, rolling his eyes in his trade mark sulky fashion, adding under his breath, "toss pot,"

"Now now Ronnekins, I guess I just haven't settled down from the excitement of last week's revelation," George smirked, flicking his gaze to his twin and Ella, who'd both started to turn red, looking away in embarrassment as they simultaniously flashed back to the week before in the boys' dormitory. As embarrassing as it had been, however, it hadn't stopped them from continuing with their little 'agreement' pretty much whenever they could.

"What do you mean?" Katie piped up from the other side of Lee, looking dazed and intruiged at the same time. A look which was mirrored in the faces of the three younger students and Ginny, whilst Angelina, Ella, Fred, George and Lee all exchanged a knowing look, although Lee's and George's held a certain smugness to them that the others didn't.

"Yeah, what's he going on about?" Harry asked his sister sincerely but she just avoided eye contact, suddenly finding her old dark wooden lunch table that she'd sat at almost every day for a year, entrancing.

"Erm," She tried to think quickly, "What was the potions for homework?" She tried to change the subject, but before Angelina could answer, George had already trampled out her attempts to divert the attention.

"oh no you don't Miss Potter," He smirked wickedly, "Now you see little Potter," he said now turning to Harry.

No he wasn't, Ella glared at George desperately. He wasn't, he wasn't, he wasn't.

"Last week, I caught your sister in a rather comprimising position with my twin...in his bed...starkers..."

He was. Git.

Harry's mouth hung open, looking gawpingly at his sister, then Fred, then his sister again. This reaction of disbelief was also portrayed by Hermione, Ron and Katie.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Katie scoffed.

Ella shrugged sheepishly, feeling bad for unintentionally excluding her friend in their little 'secret', but then again it had never meant to get out. Thanks George.

She looked at her brother, who still hadn't uttered a single word, hesitantly.

"I...I...I'm going to lessons," Harry stuttered, still looking remarkably shocked, as though she'd told him she was going to be the next queen of England or something. As much as she loved him to pieces, he was such a little moody drama queen when he wanted.

"Harry, don't. Just sit down," She spoke softly to him, knowing all too well that she was just pondering to him.

"No, I'll speak to _you _later," He said in such a stern voice - making him sound like a father who was preparing for the awkward talk with his daughter about not having sex with the devastatingly handsome bad boy that lived two doors down - that the second he was out of earshot, the whole of the remaining group couldn't help but laugh.

He might be a drama queen, but give Harry his due, he often provided entertainment, albeit unintentional.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Harry still had been avoiding his sister at all costs by their next quidditch practice two days later. Ella was sat in the changing rooms with the twins and Angelina, awaiting the arrival of the rest of their teammates.

"Bets on what lengths Harry will go to avoid me, showing his _upmost_ disaproval at me sleeping with you...again," She rolled her eyes begrudingly. They'd been amusing at first but now her brothers dramatics were becoming wearing. The boy could be more hormonal than a thirteen year old girl the week before she's due on her period.

"I reckon he might just go off flying," George mused.

"Or be wearing disguise," Fred joined in.

"Or maybe a wig, how amazing would that be,"

"Maybe he'll be brewing up polyjuice potion again,"

"Or just try and go all practise under his invisability cloak," The twins looked at each other for a moment before cracking into raucous laughter.

"Will you two pack it in, you're not helping," Angelina glowered at the two red heads authoritatively.

"That was never our intention," They said in unison, causing both girls to smile despite themselves.

Just as they began to recompose themselves, the said boy himself came walking around the corner, accompanied by the two other Weasleys and the newly appointed reserve Aaron, that made up the team. You had to admit, it was odd that over half the time were Weasleys and two of the remaining four were also siblings, leaving Angelina as the only team member with no blood relation on the team.

Just as Ella had expected, Harry had avoided all eye contact with her, taking a seat at the opposite end of the changing rooms.

"Right team," Angelina stood up to get everyone's attention, "our first match is next week and it's against Slytherin, so we _need _to be on top form, no excuses. This week, I want no late nights, sensible, healthy eating and _no_ distractions," she shot a teasing glance over at her roommate. "We want to kick this season off as we mean to go on. Now that's the motivational 'we can do this' speech, let's get our arses out there in the freezing cold and work them till the point of dropping off."

~~~~~C~~~~~

Angelina had been right, it had been bloody freezing outside when they'd been flying about the pitch, but it had been nothing than a hot mug of coco sat around the Gryffindor common room's fire couldn't solve, as they talked over their tactics for the following week's game.

"Slytherin are going to play dirty but sneaky," Ella vaguely heard Angelina warn as she absent-mindedly ran a lazy finger around the rim on her untouched mug of coco, "they're going to try and aggravate you and wind you up, but in a way that the umpires and teachers won't see, so as your responsible and fiercly competitive captain, I'm _begging _you, please don't give them the satisfaction of a reaction. All that it will do is distract from any wrong doing that they've done and any good playing that we've done,"

Ella loved Angelina, she really did, afterall she was the first real girl best friend she'd ever had, but she couldn't half bang on and on sometimes.

"Scared someone's spiked your coco?" Fred whispered teasingly in her ear, from where she'd be huddling into his side, like a young penguin, noticing she'd barely touched her hot chocolate.

She quickly looked up, snapping out of her daze that she hadn't realised she'd even fallen into.

"Haha, no it's just a bit hot," She smiled weakly.

"You're a witch, Elle, and a bloody good one at that so come up with a better excuse," He raised an unconvinced eyebrow, hating seeing her like this. No matter what happened between them - or how much Ella insisited that they were just having casual sex - he would always care far too much than what he ought to for her. Before he met her, he'd never felt that deep pain in his chest when he saw another person, other than George, hurting.

"I'm fine, honestly," she placed a reasurring hand over his, but Fred still wasn't convinced.

In addition, Harry's eye had caught this small act of affection, and couldn't help but grimace as his insides heaved.

It wasn't that he disliked Fred, because he didn't in the slightest. He'd actually always really liked the twins and admired their crafty pranks and determination in setting up the joke shop. He was just terrified of seeing his sister get hurt again. It had killed him to see her the way she was over summer, and even now, every so often, you could still catch a glimpse of pain in her eye, at the mention of children or Voldemort, before she covered over with a synthetic smile as she reaplied her lip gloss.

That was something Harry had noticed about his sister, whenever she was nervous or uncomfortable, the lip gloss would be reaplied as though it was her way of putting up a barrier. He'd also noticed that she'd been wearing more makeup generally since the summer, not that she looked bad because of it, she just didn't seem to have that same carefree nature the same any more. Now she felt much more fragile and damaged and less raw and genuine. But then again, she had so much she needed to put to one side and move on, or she wouldn't be able to live her life.

He felt a slight pang in his chest as he thought of what _he'd_ gone through in the summer, after seeing Cedric die right before him like that, and could only imagine how much worse it must have been for his sister to have seen that _and_ lost her child in the same night, because of that same man...if you could even call Voldemort a man.

When it was time for dinner, the team rose from their asumed positions on the floor, around the fire and headed off in the direction of the Great Hall. On the way there, however, Harry felt a large, lanky hand reach out and take a gentle but assertive hold of his arm.

"Harry," He turned to see Fred Weasley letting go of his arm, and fell into step next to him, "I was just wondering whether we could have a quick chat. You see, you not talking to Ella is really getting her down and she hasn't even done anything wrong mate," Fred tried to reason in as friendly a manner as possible, knowing how annoying it was when people told you how to react to your own family, like they knew them better.

"I didn't to ignore her," Harry sighed, feeling ashamed of himself to make Ella feel that way and not even notice it, "I just don't want to see her get hurt again." He looked up in alarm at Fred, realising how accusing his statement had sounded. "I didn't mean that you would intentionally - I know you wouldn't - I just know how much she cares for you, even if she doesn't admit it and I just couldn't bare to watch fall back into that shell state she was in at Grimmauld Place when I arrived and..."

"Harry," Fred stopped the younger boy's rants, bemused at his nervous rambles, "You're right, I have absolutely no intention of hurting your sister in any way and seeing her like that again would also kill me. Never again will I let her get like that, you've got to believe me,"

"You can't say you _never_ will though because no one can predict what's going to happen, as much as Professor Trelawney thinks she might be able to, it's just the way it is. I'm sorry but I don't like this casual agreement. There's no such thing as 'casual' when you two have been through as much as you have. Feelings can't just disapear like that,"

"and I absolutely agree with you," Fred assured, "I still love your sister more than anything,"

"then why are you okay with this casual thing?"

"Because, I know that as long as I've still got her in my life, she will one day realise that she wants more. I genuinely think she's just not ready to put herself in that position again after summer and I'm happy to wait. If nothing else, it's my way of protecting her. Do you think any other lad who wasn't there whilst she went through everything is going to understand that? Becuase I don't. But I always will wait. I'd wait till I was old and grey for her because I love her more than I can actually explain and since I've met her, I don't feel complete when she'd not around."

Harry just smiled. There was no words needed.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Around midnight that night, Ella was still violently tossing and turning in her suddenly uncomfy bed. In the realisation that she was getting no where, slipping on a baggy hoodie and a pair of woolen interior boots, Ella went for a walk around the frozen castle grounds.

There was something about the cold silence that refreshed and comforted her. It allowed to think clearly, away from the stuffy clammy dorm. The next days quidditch match was playing on her mind, taunting her. She kept telling herself she was going to fail. She was going to fail and let the whole team - all her friends, and even family down - when she screwed up as magnificently as she was sure to do.

However, this peace was interrupted when she heard the crunch of approaching footsteps on the frozen ground.

"Long time no see, _Potter_," An all too familiar voice, full of its trade mark smugness, sneered from behind.

"Malfoy," She greeted coldly. She had no interest nor desire to even acknowledge his existance after the way he'd binned her off the moment they got back to school.

Although she hated to admit it, she'd felt quite hurt when he did so. Over the summer, she'd began to think she was growing quite close the emotionally reserved boy. Over the summer, he'd opened up to her and revealed a completely different side to himself.

However, that had all vapourised the second he set foot back on the school grounds and was once again surrounded by all his equally idiotic little - or in Goyles case, not so little - friends, he morphed back into that horrible sly, smug twat she'd hated the first time she's spoken to him.

Without saying another word, he closed the small distance between them and pressed his lips roughly to hers. Once she got over the shock, she slapped him clean across the face.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" She demanded, her blood boiling in anger at the selfish git. Was this some sort of coy plan to throw her off her game for the upcoming match or did he just genuinely take pleasure in being a twat.

"Me?!" He scoffed. "What the hell are you doing slapping me? It's not like that was something that's never happened before now is it?" He raised a cocky eyebrow, earning him another quick but satisfying slap straight across the cheek.

"You make me sick," Ella spat, turning on her heel and marching towards the castle. However, due to his greater height - and therefore greater leg length - Draco caught her arm roughly and spun her around to face him.

"Don't play hard to get, that only works for the..._purer,__ more...__innocent_...of girls and we all know that's not exactly your reputation now is it," HE smirked, the cool gentle breeze blowing his ungelled hair into his sapphire eyes.

"I don't think you could be more repulsive if you tried," She tried to shake off his grip, but he managed to keep a hold of her arm with relative ease.

"I think you're forgetting all the things you confided in me over summer. All the time we spent together. And what we were mainly doing in _that_ time," His arrogant smirk once again appeared as Ella's mouth mimicked a fish's, opening and closing dumbfoundedly.

She didn't know what to say or do for the best. She didn't think she could hate the greesey git that stood in front of her much more right now, but then she couldn't risk Fred ever finding out about her and Draco.

"See, I've got you right where I want you. You know why that is? Because you're nothing but a weak, silly _little_ girl," _  
_

In another clean swipe, Ella brought the palm of her free hand down hard on his left cheek.

"You cunt," she swore pushing the revolting boy away from her as she stormed back to the castle, mind reeling at what had just gone on.

What if he wasn't bluffing? What if he really _did_ tell everyone, including Fred and Harry, about what went on over summer?

Oh shit, Harry! He would flip out if he found out. Draco was as well known an enemy of Harry's as Voldemort himself.

He was bluffing, he _had _to be. Quickly, she ran back to dorm, where she slipped off her boots and slipped back into her bed where she was greeted with a disturbed slumber.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

When Ella awoke, the rest of her dormitory was still snoring in deep slumbers. And no wonder, when she looked at her bedside alarm clock it showed it was only 5:45am. Even Angelina's ridiculous training schedule didn't ever have them up at this time but today was the day of the first match of the season, which just so happened to also be the most competitive - and therefore violent- match of the season, being Gryffindor vs Slytherin.

Ella was petrified, to say the least. Her first match would have been daunting enough, but the fact that it was against the sometimes no less than cruel Slytherins and included Draco Malfoy, who'd she'd barely said two words to since she'd broke things off with them, made her feel as though she was about to throw up.

She slipped out the room quietly, grabbing her towels, clothes and wash bag on the way to the adjoining bathroom. She shrugged off her scruffy checkered pyjama bottoms and plain white vest top, before stepping under the warm shower which generously cascaded down on her, as though responding kindly to her tense mood.

As she rinsed through her hair again, her mind reeling, her thoughts landed upon the younger Slytherin boy with platinum blonde hair and an arrogant smirk that even the bloody Cheshire cat could be proud of. She wondered whether he really was the friend she'd thought of him as all summer, until he'd become such as arse hole.

Finally, she climbed from the comforting warmth of the shower, in contrast to the cold winter air that flooded the bathroom and, with a shaking hand, she slipped on the pair of leggings that she'd picked up along with a plain long sleeved t shirt, which she wore under her quidditch jersey of red and gold. She magically dried her hair before pulling it back into a simple, single braid at the back of her head.

She stared hard at her reflection for a long time. Not out of vanity, but because something didn't fit; it was her. She didn't fit. She wasn't supposed to be here, surrounded by loving friends and family. What had she done that was so great that she deserved all this?

She shook her head. She knew she was being stupid and paranoid again but she couldn't help it. So, instead she decided that this feeling of incomplete emptiness was due to the lack of house colours she was supporting and, after rubbing in a light layer of foundation and trailing a quick lazy line of eyeliner over her upperlid, Ella used her makeup to give her skin a sort of gold glow before finishing the look with a dusting of scarlet red eye shadow and carmine lipstick, eccentuating her already full lips.

When she reentered the dormitory, she realised she'd managed to spend well over an hour in the bathroom, meaning the other girls were all just beginning to stir. It was a good job she _had_ woken up when she had because Ella was fairly certain that had she spent that long in the bathroom when not only were all the girls trying to get ready but under a time pressure, she was pretty sure her bloody and battered corpse would be plastered all over the front of the Daily Prophet once her roommates were done with her.

The Great Hall was nearly empty when Ella started ladling porridge and red berries into her bowl. Yet, despite her earliness, she was still pushing her food around her bowl - barely having had two mouthfuls - when the twins, Harry, Katie and Angelina joined her.

"You look ill Ella. You coming down with something?" George remarked, earning himself a stern glare from Angelina.

"You don't look ill," Fred jumped in, "Just a bit pale that's all," He added, also glaring at his twin for his bluntness. Despite looking marginally terrified, Fred noticed how pretty she looked with her hair pulled back in the simple yet already fairly messy style and her high cheek bones highlighted with the golden bronzer. His eyes then lazily wandered to her irresistible carmine red lips, that were puckered with nerves as she continued to push her formly porridge sludge around her bowl. It wasn't until she began to speak that he snapped out of his trance.

"I'm just a bit nervous, y'know with it being my first match and all, that's all," She smiled weakly before resuming her sludge mushing.

Angelina and Fred exchanged an apprehensive look.

"Right," He pulled the bowl of sludge away from her destructive spoon and instead placed a large clean plate in front of her, "You're new to this, so you won't know, but matches are a lot more testing and consuming than practises," Fred told her.

"Oh great, thanks for the confidence boost," She rolled her eyes, seriously debating whether it was too late to pull out.

"Just be quiet for a minute will you," he raised a single eyebrow at her, "now if you'll let me continue; matches take a lot more energy, meaning you need to eat a lot more,"

And with that he began piling her plate with sunshine yellow fried eggs, golden sausages, cherry red tomatoes, crispy bacon and herby mushrooms.

"I can't eat that!" She exclaimed. "Are you trying to make me fat?" She scoffed at her heaped plate.

"Firstly, you'll never need to worry about your weight," He almost scolded her, before softening his tone, "and secondly, you'll need all the energy you can get out there so eat up."

~~~~~C~~~~~

The weather conditions were positively wild out on the pitch. The harsh cold winter's wind whipped around the players in an attempt to throw them off their brooms, as the Baltic rain lashed down forcefully on both players and spectators alike.

In addition to the terrible weather, just as expected, Slytherin were playing nasty. Ten minutes into the game, Katie had been sent flying off her broom when a bludger was belted into her back from far closer than should have been allowed. However, as always, the Slytherins were sneaky and didn't get caught, but fortunately for Katie, the umpire _had_ been vigilant in spotting her as she fell, so she could break it before any real harm was caused.

However, unfortunately for the Gryffindor team, the bludger had left Katie unable to continue play for the day, and with their substitute off ill in the hospital wing, they were a player down and the score was thirty all.

At hearing someone yell her name, Ella whipped around to see Angelina toss the quaffle to her as two slytherins had begun to gravitate threateningly close to her.

Swiftly, the two Slytherin chasers that had been pursuing Angelina, flew to either side of Ella, blocking her in so they complete control on what direction she moved in.

She felt herself begin to panic as they closed in on her. This wasn't the type of situation she'd ever practiced with the team or with Krum.

Her shoulder began to throb as one of them knocked roughly into her, the impact only increased by the high speed at which they were shooting through the air.

A fierce bludger came whizzing out of nowhere, hitting the Slytherin who was blocking Ella to the inside, sqaure in the back, causing them to drop back and curse, "I'll get that Fred Weasley,"

Despite the high pressure situation and the fact she really had much more important things to be concentrating on, Ella felt her heart swell as she thought of the redhead trying to protect her. She was being stupid, once again. He was a beater, it was his _job _to protect her.

Just as quickly as one of the Slytherin chasers dropped back, another took its position. _Shit_.

Finally - after flying round aimlessly, the opposing chasers getting increasingly physical, for at least a couple of laps of the pitch - Ella finally decided she needed to do something. Thinking quickly, she began to jib side to side, up and down, throwing the chasers off slightly.

Suddenly, she pulled her broom upwards, soaring further and further up, losing the pair of Slytherins that had been blocking her. The second she was high enough, she pulled her broom around so she was now shooting through the air, like a bullet, towards to goal posts.

Sure enough, with her agile speed, Ella launched the quaffle towards the goal and got it in first time, making the score Gryffindor 40, Slytherin 20.

It was obvious from the start that this game was going to be tight, but not many of the Gryffindors estimated just how tight it was going to be.

After over an hour of exhausting play, the game finally drew to an incredibly tight close at 80 all, before Harry beat Draco to catching the snitch.

The whole stadium - other than the single tower of green glad spectators - erupted into victorious cheers of celebration.

Ella quickly dismounted her broom to run over to where her brother was standing and leapt on him, along with a few other members of their team.

"You did it Harry!" Angelina clapped the younger boy on the back, her face mirroring the huge grin that the rest of the team were also sporting.

Their exchanging hugs and congratulations with each other was interrupted when a familiar pair of identical came bounding over like a pair of young Labradors that had grown too quickly for the mind to realise the length of their limbs.

"WE DID IT!" They both chimed as George picked up Angelina and spun her around, and Fred dashed over to Ella.

Ella opened her mouth to congratulate him, but before she had chance Fred had bent down and captured her lips in a searing, passionate kiss. Just as quickly as the kiss had happened, it stopped.

"Shit, I'm sorry it was just impulse," He rambled quickly, not quite sure what had possessed to make such a public display of affection when they'd agreed to keep their what-you-want-to-call-it on the down low. He waited for her to get angry with and start shouting, but she just shook her head softly, letting a low chuckle before jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist and resuming the kiss.

Soon, the rest of the team had noticed this and began to cheer and wolf whistle.

"Oh get a room," Ella's blood ran cold as she heard an all too familiar voice sneer behind her. Her face drained of all colour as she unraveled her legs from Fred's waist and turned to face to smirking Slytherin.

"Malfoy," Fred sneered boldly, his dis-contempt apparent.

"Fred, it's fine. Come on," Ella pleaded, gripping onto Fred's upper arm desperately trying to pull him away, but it was little use.

"Yes Freddie, go with the nice little girl now," Draco sneered, "So I don't have to watch you two fornicating in the middle of the pitch," He feigned a wretch.

Ella's heart whirred ten to the dozen. He couldn't actually say anything; they'd gotten too close over the summer. He couldn't. He couldn't.

"I mean what's the point in watching something, when you've already experienced it,"

He could.


	50. Two can't keep a secret if one's dead(2)

**A/N: Warning! Some drug use and STRONG sexual scenes**

"I mean what's the point in watching something you've already experience," Draco sneered, causing his friends to snigger like a pack of vicious hyenas circling their prey.

Ella's blood ran cold. She couldn't believe the boy she'd grown to trust over the summer would actually do such a thing to her. But he had and she just had to accept that he really was the vile creature that everyone had told her he was.

"Pha! You wish!" Fred snorted, backed up by the everyone else on the Gryffindor team; everyone, that was, apart from Ella.

"Oh no, it's true," he shrugged nonchalantly, "just ask your little girlfriend,"

"Now you're just being absurd!" Fred scoffed. "Isn't he Ella?" He turned to the girl, who appeared to have zoned out of the conversation all together. "Ella?! Tell me he's lying,"

But Ella just shook her head miserably. She tried to find the right words to say but they kept getting stuck in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she finally choked out, in such a small voice that her words were barely audible.

"You've got to be kidding me,"

Ella felt sick at the disgust Fred was looking at her with.

"Fred, it was just over summer," she pleaded, "I was so torn up and-"

"Don't!" He barked at her. The rest of the pitch now stood still and silent, watching the commotion unfold below. "Don't you _dare_ use our daughter as an excuse for sleeping around,"

The pair stared at one another with such an intensity that no one dared breath too loud for fear of interrupting them.

"I know most people tend to like the less...used...ones but I have to say, sometimes there's nothing like a good old slut to keep you satisfied. However, she wasn't all she's been made out to be," Draco's voiced sliced through the silence as he bragged to his fellow teammates as they sauntered off the pitch.

Before anyone could stop him, Fred snapped his head round and ran at the younger boy with a wildly dangerous glaze over his eyes.

"Fred!" Ella screamed, horrified at the sight as he started laying into the slimy git.

The next sequence of events all happened so quickly, she didn't even have time to comprehend what was going on. Before she knew it, she heard a sickening crunch as Fred's fist collided with Draco's jaw and that's when it all began. Soon enough, Draco and his little side kicks were giving enough a fight back for George then Harry to also get involved in the fighting whilst Ella just looked on in horror.

"Stop!" she screamed as Angelina held her back, wrapping her arms around her waist as she thrashed in an attempt to free herself and put a stop to the fight. "Stop! Stop!" She wailed.

"That is ENOUGH!" Professor McGonagall yelled on her arrival onto the pitch, accompanied by Snape.

The boys from both houses immediate ceased their pursuits for one another's blood but refused to remove their eyes from the opponents.

"All of you, headmaster's office now!" She barked at them, rounding the blood spattered and bruised boys off the pitch. "That's you too miss potter," she added sternly to Ella who's face – if it was even possible – dropped even further.

Begrudgingly, she followed , cursing under her breath.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Sirius paced the dreary kitchen at grimmauld place for what must have been the hundredth length, kicking a rickety old chair as he passed it.

"Padfoot, will you sit down," Remus scolded him, "you're starting to make me feel sick."

Sirius just scowled like a young child and continue to pace. He loved Remus like a brother, after all they were the only two of their original trio – they obliterated the rat that had always tagged along years earlier when it was discovered that it was he who betrayed the potters– left, but he didn't get how awful it was to have nothing to do all day everyday.

Since the ministry had started to get increasingly frantic over the past few months, Dumbledore had ordered a severe restriction on Sirius' movement and it was driving him up the walls.

He was no longer allowed to pop in to have dinner with the Wesley's, or take poly juice position to morph him into some passing by muggle with the intention of going out to a club and pulling; no. Sirius was confined to his horrible childhood home and he hated it.

"Just try and ride it out Pads," Remus tried to reassure his friend, "the kids will all be home for Christmas soon and there'll be plenty going on to keep you occupied,"

"I suppose so," Sirius grunted. It was true, the students would all be back for the Christmas break soon, but it just wasn't soon enough.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

Over an hour later, Ella was still sat outside of the Headmaster's office, Angelina by her side, waiting to be seen. The Slytherins had long since been sent down to their dungeon common room but still Ella had not heard a word of what was going on.

Eventually, the large mahogany wood door heaved open, emitting a very severe looking Professor McGonagall, followed by a string of furious looking Gryffindor quidditch players. It angered her that they were obviously being punished for a fight that had only started when they'd been provoked. Why were teachers the only bloody people in the world that cared about who retaliated and who started it. Gits.

Fred's eyes bore into Ella as he stalked past. It was obvious he was still livid without even looking at him.

"Fred," she said timidly as he reached her but he just ignored her.

She ran after him, grabbing his forearm desperately. "Fred, please can we just talk," she pleaded. She couldn't bare the thought of losing him. Not again, not after everything and not over something so stupid.

"No, I don't want to talk to you. I can't fucking look at you without feeling disgusted," he spat, his disgust all too apparent in his voice.

Just Ella turned around, back towards the headmaster's office, she caught the eye of her brother, who quickly looked away. He couldn't even look at her either.

It felt as though someone had sliced her open and scooped every last ounce of her insides out until she was hollow and left as nothing but a gory empty mess.

"Miss potter, if you would please step inside,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

By the time Ella had been excused by the headmaster, the halls were pretty much empty and even Angelina must have made her way back to the common room at some point.

The castle had a certain eerie feel about it in the darkness, the flickering lanterns creating large, looming disconcerting shadows. The cold stone interior felt disinterested and lonely, reflecting her mood down to a tee.

As she neared the common room, Ella heard some muffled familiar voices from around the corner ahead.

"Fred!" She heard a sickeningly shrill squeal of laughter. Her heart thudded in her chest, as her palms began to glisten in a cold sheen of sweat.

Sure enough, as Ella rounded the corner, she was greeted by the horrifying sight of Fred pressing none other than Alicia Spinnet up against the wall, showering her with kisses and affection.

Ella didn't know whether to kick off or run away; throw up or pass out; or just cry.

As she stood there frozen, horrified by the scene before her, Alicia spotted her out the corner of her eye and a sickeningly smug smirk crept upon her lips as Fred's moved down her neck.

"Fred, wait," Alicia panted over dramatically.

"What is it?" He said rather impatiently, continuing to kiss and ravish her neck, not paying her words much attention.

"Fred," she snapped sternly, pulling his head up to meet her steely stare, "promise me you're done with that skank and you won't just go running back to her," Alicia put on such a sweet, deceiving smile it made Ella feel physically ill.

Fred's face hardened at the mention of girl - unbeknownst to him - was stood a matter of feet behind him.

"That was just sex, never meant anything," he mumbled and shrugged. Alicia smiled, satisfied as she watched the colour drain from and pressed her falsely Plump red lips to his.

The whole room begun to spin. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be Fred speaking. Her Fred. Well not her's anymore.

Unable to stomach it any longer, no longer caring whether her presence was known or not, Ella dashed past the entangled couple – although she doubted they even noticed they were so caught up in one another – and straight up to her dormitory, where Angelina had been lounging on her bed, flicking through last month's copy if Witch Weekly.

By now, there was a heavy stream of tears flowing freely down her blotchy red cheeks.

"Oh, Ella," Angelina rushed over to where her friend had flopped in a defeated heap on her bed and began to cradle her head as she sobbed, "I'm guessing you've heard about Fred and alicia,"

Ella just shook her head desperately, "saw them," she choked out.

"Oh honey," Angelina petted her hair comfortingly, like a mother might do to a small child who's just fallen and scraped their knee.

Finally Ella sat up, wiping her sodden cheeks futilely, "he was so awful ang," her voice shook as she said the words.

"What did he say?" Angelina gasped, really at a loss to what this confrontation had consisted of. Sure, Fred was angry but he did love Ella, she was sure of it, and he would never intentionally hurt her; would he?

"He...he...it doesn't matter," Ella shook her head desperately, "I think I'll be better just going home for tonight,"

Angelina nodded, agreeing that the space might do her friend some good, time to clear her head, "be back by lunch, I'll tell the teachers you weren't feeling well so had a lie-in."

It was acceptable for students not to turn up to breakfast on a Sunday if they had a reasonable excuse and since there was no lessons, hopefully her absence could go unnoticed.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Sirius tipped back his fourth glass of fire whisky, downing its contents, before hurling the empty glass at the wall in frustration. Remus had left over an hour ago and he hated how long the nights had seemed to become and how lonely he constantly felt. Above all else, he felt useless. Apart from providing a headquarters, what use was he for the order; or anyone for that matter. Absolutely none, he was no use to anyone caged up in his heinous childhood home.

Just as he hazily flicked his wand to reassemble the shattered glass to fill it once more, there was a sudden popping sound behind him, causing him to physically jump.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you, I just didn't want to stay at school," Ella's voice was tight and sore as though she'd been crying. This suspicion was confirmed when he turned to see her bloodshot eyes and tear stained face.

"Oh Ella," he sighed,standing from his chair, all his previous anger and frustration melting instantly, "what's happened?" He embraced her firmly as she began to sob once more.

She couldn't stop the pain and hurt coursing through her body, so intense that she lost the ability to stay standing and crumpled into a heap on the floor, Sirius still holding her firmly as she let the harsh sobs and gasps for breath rack her whole body.

The pair stayed in that position long after her crying had begun to subside, before finally Ella spoke.

"You've been drinking," she stated planning, her voice scratchy, smelling the booze on his breath, "I hope you've saved me some."

~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

The room was hazy and everything was numb as Ella necked what must have been at least her eighth shot of firewhisky; or was it her nineth? Either way, she'd had too many but she'd stopped caring a long time ago. With the pain and hurt this terrible night had brought, she'd began to fondly reminisce of the numbing sensation that alcohol so kindly presented in times of great need.

Sirius clumsily shook the now empty bottle of firewhisky, looking at it intensely with a mixture of great sadness and interest.

"It's all gone," He exclaimed miserably, from his seat opposite Ella at the large kitchen table.

"Have you got anything stronger?" Ella asked, sullenly swilling the last of her glass.

Sirius seemed to ponder this question for a moment before jumping to his feet excitedly.

"Yes! But you can't tell Remus, he'll kill me," He giggled like a young girl before bounding over to one of the less frequently used - by it's appearance - kitchen cupboards and wrenched a small packet out of it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ella laughed in a mixture of amusment at the elder man's fear of his best friend and disbelief.

"If you're thinking it's weed then you're right Darls," He drawled, slinging a lazy arm drukenly around her her shoulders, the crackling old muggle radio playing quietly in the background.

"My my, I never thought I'd see a pureblood resorting to _muggle_ drugs," She teased him playfully, inwardly delighted at the thought of getting high out of her mind. So much for the quiet night at home... "Life must be bad,"

"You have _no_ idea," He groaned, rolling up two joints, passing one to the younger girl, lighting it for her first. Taking a long drag from his own, he continued, "I'm so useless, I have no purpose other than being a hinderence to everyone,"

"Trust me, that's the last thing you are," Ella slurred slowly, taking a long sucking drag from her own joint. "I don't know what I'd have done without you over summer," She admitted, "you were my rock,"

"You're my late best friend's first born, I wasn't just going to abandon you," He laughed bitterly.

"It's more that you never gave up, no matter how much I pushed you away," She sighed, rocking in her chair and resting her heavy head on his firm, broad shoulder.

Just as Sirius opened his mouth to say something, a song came on the radio that he recognised; the Good Samaritan, by The Pierces. He stood abruptly from his chair and dropped down to one knee dramatically.

"Care for a dance?" He took the younger girl's petite hand in his rough one, and kissed it forwardly, as though he was still the young, devastatingly irresistible young, flirtatious boy he'd once so renownedly been.

Ella just giggled like a young girl, nodding as they both rose to their feet.

The song was slow and almost mournful as they stepped side to side gracefully in time to the music. One of Sirius' hands was wrapped around her slim waist, whilst the other cupped her small, seemingly delicate hand as they swayed to the beat.

The air in the kitchen was thick with cannabis smoke, much like the pair's minds; thick,hazy and blissfully numb and unaware of their actions or the consequences they might bring.

_He was moving towards me like a deadly hurricane  
but well the eye was on the sparrow but I was in the rain  
rolled into town and blue was smoke into my eyes  
_But it was only for a moment but I was hypnotised

With a deep sigh, a sudden fatigue taking a toll over her body, Ella allowed her head to droop heavily onto Sirius's shoulder as they moved in sync.

_Why can't I know the secrets that you're keeping from me,  
Stop don't tell me now, cause there is only one day more and I don't know how  
to bring to life the things that meant so much to me before  
there is danger in your words that I cannot ignore_

Ella tilted her overly heavy head up to Sirius', his stormy grey eyes meeting her distinctive emerald ones. The gaze was filled with such an intensity (albeit induced by drugs) that it took her breath away from her slightly.

Their bodies gradually ground to a halt in their swaying as the gaze lingered.

"Elle," Sirius whispered, his voice harsh and breathy, as he brought a rough hand up to her chin, tilting it upwards.

"Don't," She whispered back in the same tone, before she pressed her lips roughly against his.

It took him only a moment for his instincts to take over any rationality - that was already hindered by the excessive alcohol and cannabis consumption - as he kissed her back intrusively with passion and determination.

Regaining his senses for a moment, he pulled apart abruptly, panting heavily, "we shouldn't,"

"I guess I just can't help myself," she replied seductively, pressing her lips erotically against his once more. However, this time, they did not stay this way for long when Sirius' moved down to her neck, nipping and sucking at her sensitive skin, causing her to inhale sharply.

He repeated this motion but this time, she managed to catch the moan in her throat as he kissed her neck, his tongue running up and down the column with familiarity. Shivery when his hand snaked up to cup her breast through her thin school blouse, feeling rather than hearing his growl of approval.

Turning his head to kiss him, his fingers tweaked her nipple briefly before tracing down the back down her flat stomach, flipping into the folds of her robes, his body now holding her against the bare, dusty kitchen cupboards.

"We should go upstairs," She whispered, her breathy request falling on deaf ears.

"You don't mean that, Witch," He replied wickedly, kissing the corner of her mouth as his fingers slipped that little bit lower than they ought to. He caught her moans of pleasure with another searing kiss.

Ella shuddered in his arms as his fingers slipped between her skimpy cotton underwear and her velvety smooth skin.

He found her wet and ready for him, exploring her at first with the same unhurried movements as his tongue in her mouth. When he touched upon her sensitive nub, she bucked in his arms as she felt him swell against her thigh.

His fingers started out slow, rubbing in tantalizing circles over and over again until she was dizzy with need. Along with the drugs and alcohol, sex was the only other known release to Ella from pain and hurt and it was bloody good when all three were combined well.

He shifted a little, moving his hand lower, cupping her entire core before he slipped two fingers inside of her. She felt the invasion and was helpless to stop the small meling sounds of pleasure that escaped her mouth into his. Even at this new angle, he was going too slow and she craved that harsh violent way she'd grown to know in her life prior to Hogwarts; the only way of sex that was as far away from anything love related possible, and Sirius relented.

Violently, not being able to hold back any longer, he scooped up her petite frame in his arms and threw her roughly to the sprawling kitchen table which they'd previously been sat drinking at.

Before either was fully aware of what was happening, they were both lying in nothing other than their minimal underwear, their clothes scattered around the floor haphazardly.

In one sharp, impatient move, Sirius thrust into Ella at a relentless pace, causing her to cry out in what probably would have been pain had it not been for the numbing effect of the firewhisky.

Ella felt her whole body shudder and shake as she reached her climax suddenly, Sirius following not long after. They lay in a panting pile of a tangle of limbs on top of the table whilst the both fought to regain their strength, neither quite sure of what had just happened.

Sirius was the first to recover, rolling on his lean side, propping himself up on one elbow.

"How about we go upstairs and do that again," He winked wickedly, grabbing Ella by the forearm and dragging her up the stairs to his master bedroom before she had a chance to reply.

**A HUGEEEEEE thank you to my lovely reviewer (who decided the remain anonymous but knows who they are) who's review was my inspiration to take this story up again - as I'd sort of ditched it - and get this chapter out for Christmas as a present to all my lovely followers. I will try and update more regularly but I'm going to be honest (sorry to moan at christmas) but it is quite hard to find the motivation to write when there's no feedback. Thanks again,**

**xoxo -C**


	51. Tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials

Remus glanced at his muggle watch as he left the little convenience store around the corner to Grimmauld Place. Damn, it was already nearly ten o'clock and Sirius would already be rattling around the house on his own, waiting hungrily for the food and company Remus brought him. That was, however, unless he'd decided to go on another one of his one man binges that had started to become a little habit of his since Dumbledore had restricted his movement from the dreary house.

His suspicions were confirmed when he entered the house and all was quite, the smell of smouldering cannabis and spilt fire whisky scorching his nostrils as he entered the empty kitchen.

He dumped his shopping bags to begin to clear up the mess but stopped abruptly when he noticed something that nearly made his heart stop. There was two glasses, meaning Sirius must've had someone round last night against Dumbledore's strict orders. As he rounded the kitchen table her saw discarded articles of clothing laid strewn around the floor haphazardly, including a white blouse and slim fitting black skirt. Twenty years ago, Remus would've assumed his best friend had brought home a school girl, as he'd always openly stated in his time at Hogwarts that he'd found girls hotter in their uniform. However, they were now far too old to be getting involved with school aged kids so Remus quickly pushed that suspicion out of his mind, feeling guilty for genuinely thinking that Sirius would sink so low.

However, the fact the mystery girl's clothes were still here meant that she too must still be here. Shit, Sirius would have most likely drank poly juice potion wherever he went last night but it would've worn off by now. He must've been really out of it in order to allow the mystery girl to stay the night. Girls never stayed the night where Sirius was concerned, not just recently for safety reasons, but ever since he'd first started sleeping with them and he declared that once you start cuddling they get too clingy and think you might be interested in them for any other reason apart from what they had between their legs.

Quickly, Remus scooped up all the ruminants of clothing and dashed up the stairs to Sirius' room. He knocked twice with no reply before entering regardless, hoping to get Sirius out the way and disguised before mystery girl awoke.

Shit, his heart started racing in his chest at the sight of Sirius' own black tousled hair. He was so concerned with getting Sirius out of there, he hadn't even noticed the familiarity of the face down brunette that was now beginning to stir.

"Sirius," he hissed but there was no response, "Padfoot. PADFOOT!' He hissed more urgently, hurling a garment from his arms at the sleeping drunk.

Sirius stirred with a loud grumble, causing Ella to awake groggily, her head still foggy from the night before's binge.

"W-What's goin' on?" She slurred, rubbing her eyes with the back of one arm, whilst clutching the dark silky bed covers to her bare chest with the other.

Remus' face and heart dropped simultaneously as the all too vivid realisation of _exactly_ what had gone on the night before dawned onto him. His previous frantic worry for his friend evaporated into thin air and a boiling fury replaced it. However, before Remus could gain enough composure to even open his mouth to utter a word, Ella sprang to her feet - the bed sheets still draped around her bare form - and dashed to the toilet, where the sounds of violent retching could be heard.

"Um, nice," Sirius commented sarcastically in a manner that made Remus wonder whether the fugitive was still drunk, as he started fumbling around, pulling on the clothes that Remus had hurled at him to wake him.

"What the _hell_ have you done?!" Remus hissed venomously at the blase drunk.

"Look, mate," Sirius slurred with a grimace as his severly delayed reactions finally began to kick in and the weight of his actions began to dawn on him.

"Don't bother trying to explain unless you can come up with some other reason why I've just found you in bed with a girl not even _half_ your age,"

"Well, it wasn't how you think-"

"So you didn't have sex with her?" He asked with a rhetorical sneer.

"Well yes but-"

The conversation halted abruptly as the bathroom creaked open and a now fully dressed Ella stepped out wearily.

"Re-" She started timidly.

"Go to school," He cut off sharply, his voice low and tone icy cold.

"But-" she tried to protest.

"I said," His voice rose warningly, "get your stuff and go back to school, where I will see you later when you've sobered up a bit more,"

"But Remus, I'd much rather just talk it out now and-"

"Ella," He scolded her, his tone severe, "_please_ don't make me have to pull rank with you here. I try not to parent you but you have to listen to me. Go back to school,"

Ella didn't know what unnerved her more, the thought of going back to school and facing everyone - namely Fred - or the way in which Remus was speaking to her. She'd never seen him so angry. He was normally so calm and cool about everything, it had shook her up to see him react so violently. So it was with this in mind that she decided to give up her fight and left, sighing a heavy sigh which was saturated with regret and anxiety, the taste of stale alcohol and vomit thick on her tongue.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~

In the kitchen a few minutes later, Remus didn't even know what he was going to say. He was too furious to even talk. He'd always known Sirius had his moments and liked to live with little care of consideration but he had hoped he would have grown out of it during his stay in Azkaban. He'd taken it too far this time and Remus had no patience for his excuses. He'd hoped he might calm down some whilst he waited downstairs for Sirius to get dressed but the more he sat and stewed, the angrier he became.

The scratchy creek of the kitchen door opening announced Sirius' arrival. Neither man knew what to say. Neither man wanted to say a thing.

"Look, Mooney, I know-"

"Don't call me that, not right now," Remus whispered, wincing as the use of his nickname triggered his mind to be flooded with the thought of his late best friend.

"Sorry," Sirius restarted his rambled, still not daring to move from the doorway, as though the slightest might trigger an explosion from the werewolf, "I know there's no excuse for what I did last night but you've got to know that I feel terrible and I wasn't in my right mind. You know how being kept cooped up in this god damn awful house has been sending me stir crazy and she turned up and she was so upset-"

"EXACTLY!" Remus bellowed, slamming his fist into the table, leaping up. "She was _upset_! You should have been finding out what was wrong, getting her to talk, not supplying her with drink and Merlin knows what else by the smell of this kitchen, before sleeping with her,"

"I know," Sirius looked down at his feet sheepishly, self consciously running a hand through his hair.

"That's just it, you don't know. She's been through a hell of a lot that neither of us could ever even be able to fully understand, but she's grown up accustomed to being used as men's play toys, and yes she's gotten security here, when she's hurt she goes back to that default. She's being getting better since the summer but she's so used to being used and you just confirmed to her last night, that her value depends on what the closest man thinks of her.

"Don't you think that maybe you're being a bit extreme?" Sirius rolled his eyes defencively even though he knew Remus was right. If Ella's defence was whoring around then his was being a defensive, childish dickhead.

"She's your late best friend's for christ sake!"

Sirius said nothing. He knew he'd gone way too far this time and before he had time to muster enough courage to say anything, Remus spoke through gritted teeth.

"I'm going to go," Remus said monotone, walking straight past Sirius, not even making eye contact with him, but stopped just as he was about to exit the room. "Oh and Sirius?" He turned to face the perpetrator.

"Yes?" And out of no where, a surprisingly strong, firm fist collided painfully with Sirius' jaw.

"That's for James," He said, wiping the blood off of his knuckles as he left Grimmauld place.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

When Ella entered her dorm, Angelina was lounging on her bed, waiting for her.

"Ella?" She called, not looking up from her magazine. "What took you so long? I had to keep making all sorts of excuses, and why do you smell like a rough night out? I thought you were just going home?"

"Changed my mind," Ella grunted, throwing down her shoes on her bed as she passed it on the way to the bathroom.

"Wait, Elle, what did happen last night?" Angelina tossed aside her magazine and chased her best friend into the toilet.

When she entered the bathroom, she saw Ella was slumped on top of the toilet lid, head in her hands.

"Oh, I've been so stupid," Ella groaned as her older friend cradled her head nurturingly.

"I'm sure it couldn't have been that bad," Angelina tried to comfort her, pushing her best friend's hair behind her ear looking at her, eyes full of pity.

"You obviously underestimate my phanomonal ability to fuck up then," Ella stood up, tone harsh, shrugging her cardigan off her. Her tone softened when she saw a look of confusion, worry and hurt flash across Angelina's face. She didn't mean to take out her crabby mood on her friend, "But I don't want to talk about it just now, I just want to shower and get this sick out my hair," She said in a way that caused Angelina to laugh softly.

"Alright, I'll leave you be but I'll be here when you're ready to talk,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The air was crisp and cool in comparison to the stuffy heat of inside the shower, when Ella stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself. She ran a brush through her chocolate coloured hair, which was already starting to curl naturally. She did, however, decide just to let it dry naturally as she didn't have the effort to do it manually- even with magic.

She felt better after her shower; body and hair cleaner, head clearer. She'd purposely spent far longer than normal in the shower in order to give herself some time to think. Looking at herself in the mirror, however, Ella realised how rough she still looked from the night before so she decided to apply a light layer of foundation and a thin line of eyeliner on her top lid. She still looked rough, but not as severely so now.

Going back into her room, after fishing out some clean underwear from her drawer, Ella found a lose fitting pair of faded light blue jeans, a casual grey spaghetti strap vest top and a large woolen granny style cardigan with an aztec pattern around the side. It was always her favourite as it was so comfy and exactly what she needed when she felt like shit as she did today.

Just as she padded back into the bathroom, with the intention of brushing her teeth, Ella heard a gentle knock on the door followed by an all too familiar boy's voice.

"Hey Ange, has Ella appeared yet?" Ella heard Fred ask cautiously.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes she has and no you're not speaking to her," Angelina replied harshly, her tone icy cold and right at that moment Ella didn't think she'd ever felt more love for her best friend and the way she instinctively had her back. "And how did you even get up the stairs?!" She demanded, half irritated, half curious.

"I'm a Weasley, I have my ways," He said with a cocky smirk that Ella could hear from the bathroom, before taking a more serious tone again, "Please may I speak to Ella alone?"

"Uh uh, no way," Angelina said definitely.

"Ange," Ella came around the bathroom, "It's okay," She said with a soft smile to her friend, before turning to the redhead who was still stood in the doorway, "We can talk. Can you give us a minute please, Ange?"

Angelina looked at her skeptically, but still slowly raised from her bed, taking her seemingly never ending magazine with her, mentioning something about going down to see Hermione.

Once she'd left, both Ella and Fred looked at each other, neither one knowing quite how to start the conversation or what to say first.

"Elle, I'm so so sorry, I can't even-" Fred started.

"Don't." Ella snapped. "_Please_," She sighed deeply, collapsing onto her bed in defeat.

Fred's face became riddled with concern and confusion. He'd gone in reproachful, planning to grovel but now he had much bigger issues niggling away at him. He'd expected her to either to refuse to speak to him for days or weeks, or to bite his head off like a hungry rottweiler.

"Ella, what's going on?" He sat next to her and went to rub her back in an attempt to comfort her when she flinched and tried to pull away.

"I know what you did last night, I saw you," She shuddered both inwardly and outwardly at the thought.

"Ella, I'm sorry, I was awful and you didn't deser-"

"Wait," She cut off his rambling in an authoritative yet weak voice, "I know what you did but I have no right to be angry with you," She sighed, her head in her hands.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, full of concern for the girl, as a friend if nothing else. He didn't even care all that much what she'd done, he just wanted to know that she was alright. "Ella, please tell me what's happened?"

"I've done something stupid Fred, and I don't know how you'll forgive me. I wouldn't blame you if you decided you couldn't," She adopted a glassy stare, as she gazed out of the window at her bedside.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad, just tell me," He comforted her, this time she accepted - or just failed to even realise - his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her back in an instinctive comforting, circular motion.

"You slept with someone, well so did I," Ella blurted almost angrily, although she had no idea why it came out the way it did; it just did.

"I knew you wouldn't have just gone home," He almost chuckled in a low voice, bemused by how wound up the girl had gotten herself, like she couldn't see that her saw no fault in her actions, just his.

"I did go home, and only home," She said solemnly, her piercing, tear stained gaze pleading him to understanding what she was trying to infer so she didn't have to actually say it allowed. That way, it might not be fully true.

"I don't think I understand..." Fred said slowly, starting to understand all too well, but hoping to Merlin he was wrong.

"I think you do," She replied, tone scornful at his hopeful ignorance.

She stood abruptly and leaned on the windowsill, scanning the grounds below thoughtfully.

"Look, Ella," He also stood and tried to catch her arm to get her to face him, but she pulled away and continued to stare purposefully out of the window, "I don't _care_ what you've done. I was awful to you and I can't apologise enough and I don't blame you for being angry and acting out-"

"Will you _STOP_ making excuses for me. I slept with Sirius Black, my late father's best friend, the middle aged fugitive from Azkaban. Have I not disgusted you enough yet for you to just leave,"

"If I'm disgusted with anyone, it's him not you-"

"Oh why does everyone keep saying that!?" She spun around to face him, yelling in exasperation. "It takes _two_ people to get drunk and have sex. He didn't force me, I was a more than willing participiant, why do people seem to forget that, eh?"

"Ella, stop-" Fred's tone was soft and calm, but Ella kept going.

"What? Don't you like hearing about my passionate love affairs with other men, eh Fred? Do you not like to hear about how another mans ran his hand's over my _hot, naked_ body? Or what about how he ravished my neck in such a way I nearly ca-"

"STOP!" Fred bellowed, losing his cool and slamming his fist into the wall by Ella's head, in a fashion that would have scared most people out of their wits, but a slick grin crept upon Ella's lips, as she triumphed in gaining a reaction.

"What's wrong?" She feigned innocence.

"_Stop,_" He panted, trying to recompose himself, "Stop trying to make me leave you. I'll never leave you. I was mad last night and I acted out in a way I should never have, but Ella I still love you more than anything and I don't care what you say or do, I'm never leaving,"

Ella rolled her eyes defensively and went to Fred away, but he grabbed a firm and authoritative hold of her wrist and forced her back to the wall, where she'd previously been backed up. His lips lingered painfully close over hers, so close that they could feel that damp heat of one another's breath on their mouths.

"Don't push me away, it won't work this time," He whispered into the crook of her neck, before lowering his lips to her broken and blotchy skin from the night before. He instantly felt Ella - and her tough bravado - come undone at his touch. With each flick of his tongue and nip with his teeth, he felt her gradually melt into a pool at his feet, begging for mercy.

"Please," She panted in heavy breaths.

"What?" It was now Fred's turn to tease the younger girl and he was going to relish in every single second of it that he could.

"Angelina knows the call and the others are all out today, no one's going to be coming in here for _hours_," She said, playing seductively with the button on Fred's trousers, a smug grin gracing her lips.

"I like your thinking Miss Potter," The redhead chuckled, hoisting the girl over his shoulder easily and throwing her onto her bed, causing Ella to let out a playful squeal.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

"Hey Ange," Harry greeted his Quidditch captain as he took the seat next to her in the Gryffindor common room, accompanied by his usual two best friends. The trio seemed to be more inseparable than ever at the moment. To most people, it had become so noticeable it was beginning to become a subject of gossip. That was until, the huge bombshell was dropped at yesterday's Quidditch match about everyone's favourite brunette Gryffindor player and the greasy blonde haired Slytherin that the whole school couldn't help but love to hate.

Harry and Ron pulled out their potions essay, which Hermione - appearing to have already completed hers - started attempting to help them with.

"No, no, no Ronald," She finally gave an exasperated sigh as Ron still wasn't grasping what she was trying to say after almost half an hour, "You can't just make it up as you go!" The poor girl looked as though she was about to cry with exasperation, "The Draught of Peace has to be made very precisely. Too much of any ingredients and your potion could cause someone to fall into an unwakable sleep!"

Angelina caught Harry's eye and the two of them set each other off into muffled giggles.

"Hey, I don't see what's so funny about Snape castrating me, which is what he's going to do when he reads this pile of crap!" Ron exclaimed, scruntching his fith attempt at a paper up into a ball and setting it alight with the tip of his wand.

Hermione, taking pity on him, offered to write some of it for him if he came to the libary with her and help with the research, which of course Ron very quickly and willingly agreed to. "Hermione, you're the best, you know that right?" The two remaining Gryffindors could hear Ron gush as he followed Hermione out of the portrait hole.

Just as Angelina and Harry began to settle back down to their respective work, they were once again disturbed by an innominate first year clearing their throat timidly.

"S...s...sorry to interrupt," The bashful twelve year old stammered to the pair, "Professor Dumbledore has sent for Ella Potter to go to his office - s..said there was some bloke, R..Remmus, to s..see her - but I...I...can't f..find her anywhere a...and-"

"It's alright, I know where she is and I'll pass the message on, thank you," Angelina flashed a grateful, charming smile to the first year, who'd instantly ran off, cheeks flushed red that the seventh year had actually spoken back.

The pair chuckled, bemused by the shy, whimpy first year, disbelieving that they once could have been that small.

"When did Ella get back?" Harry asked casually, turning his quill over in his hand.

"Oh it must have been a couple of hours ago now," Harry couldn't help but detect a hint of nervousness in the seventh year's voice as she tried to brush over her awkwardness with an uneasy, forced laugh.

"Where's she now?" He questioned skeptically.

"She's upstairs talking to Fred," Angelina tried to say as casually as possible, painfully aware that as Ella's brother, Harry wouldn't want too much information but knowing full well that when two people had as much history as Ella and Fred, there was no way they could spend two hours just talking.

"Oh," Harry faultered, a look of concern spreading across his face like wildfire.

"Yep, that was my thought," Angelina grimaced, putting away her things and rising from her seat, "I best go give her the message. Wish me luck," She sent a quick wink to the younger boy and sprinted up the steps to the girl's dormitory, where she dreaded to think what she might find.

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update at the minute but I've got so much going on at the moment with mocks and a new horse, it's honestly hectic but I will try to keep updating. Thanks so much to those who reviewed ( I do apologise for leaving it on a bit of a cliffhanger) as you'll honestly never know how much more it makes me want to write! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think, constructive critism is always welcome! Let me know your ideas of where you think the story might go or where you think it _should_ go ;) Love you all**

**XOXO - C**


	52. I Write Sins Not Tragedies

As Ella stood outside of the Headmaster's office, having ascended the password guarded steps, heart racing ten to the dozen, she could help her mind wandering to the rollercoaster that had been the past twenty four hours. She was becoming far too frequent a visitor to this office for her liking.

And Remus, oh God Remus, he was going to be furious with her. Or was he? Was he going to instantaneously blame Sirius the way Fred had. Why people always blamed men for regretted, unplanned but fully consensual sex, it was beyond her. It was almost as though people looked at her as though she was some small fragile doll that could do no harm yet was surrounded by potentially dangerous things and people. She was sick of it. She was nearly seventeen; why did people still insist on treating her like a young, vulnerable child?

With a outstretched trembling hand, feeling like the little girl she despised everyone thinking of her as, Ella knocked politely on the Headmaster's large, imposing door. The mumour of two voices that she'd previously heard had now dropped away as the familiar voice of her headmaster called out to her.

"Come in."

The two men were sat around the two antique looking armchairs that were cosily arranged in the quarter to five position facing the crackling fire, as though they were old friends. For all Ella knew, they might well be old friends; after all, Harry had told her that Remus used to teach defence against the dark arts, the year before she joined the school.

"Professor, you summoned me?" She asked politely, but with a tone that ensured both men knew she took no pleasure in this little social gathering.

A bemused twinkle sparked in the headmaster's eyes at the naturally feisty nature that reminded him so much of her mother that it made his chest pang with sorrow at the memory of his feisty red headed former student. Ella's eyed narrowed playfully back at her headmaster as they exchanged looks.

When she looked over to her guardian, however, she was met with a much sterner eye and sombre expression. His eyes were not twinkling with amusement; instead were dull with weary disappointment. She noted how the wrinkles around his comparatively young eyes were deeper than usual and his complexion was also paler. Despite the fact she could tell she was about to get a good old fashioned bollocking from him, Ella couldn't help but feel guilty about the stress hers' and Sirius' actions the previous night had obviously put him in.

"I asked Professor Dumbledore to call you here so we could speak," Remus said sternly. Ella nodded stiffly, unsure of the customary way to act when you were trying to make it up to your guardian for sleeping with his best friend. "How about a walk in the grounds?" He suggested, rising from his sea.

Ella breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for the fact that the awkwardness might not be quite so pronounced if they were walking around in the fresh air, away from the curious ears of the headmaster. This was certainly not going to be the genre of conversation you wanted your Merlin knows how ancient headmaster to be listening on.

The moment she stepped outside the threshold of the front entrance to the castle, Ella instantly felt better and more relaxed. The fresh, crisp sunny winter air helped suppress the nausea that had hanging around like a bad smell all morning.

The pair walked in a silence that if was to be described as uncomfortable, would be the biggest understatement of the century. Every time their hands would accidently brush against each other, Remus would flinch, nursing it close to side, uttering some form of inaudible apology. Finally, when reached the shore of the Black Lake and could walk no further, when one of them finally spoke.

"About what happened between you and Sirius last night..." Remus began awkwardly, looking at his feet that were shuffling from side to side as though it would make the subject easier to broach. Ella let him find his words, not wanting to jump in on what he was trying to say to her. "Well, I guess the main concern for me is that he didn't hurt you," He rubbed the back of his neck like an awkward, geeky school boy.

"What?" Ella scoffed, that not being what she'd anticipated him to say. "What do you mean?" She asked in disbelief.

"I mean...like... you know...well, did he?" His face was riddled with concern in a way that made Ella's heart pang, bleed and melt all at the same time.

"No!" She quickly reassured him. "No. No, of course he didn't. I was equally responsible for what happened, I-"

"No, he took advantage of you. He-"

"No, Remus, he didn't. I'm sorry if I'm coming across as disrespectful and don't get me wrong, I completely regret what happened last night, but at the end of the day, it did happened and there's nothing any one can do to change that. But it's _both_ of our faults. I was upset, yes, but so was _he_. I chose to drink, I wasn't forced to. I chose to smoke cannabis and then I chose to sleep with Sirius Black. _I_ made every decision last night. Yes, they were incredibly _shitty_ decisions, but I made them and no one else is to blame for them other than myself." She paused as she noticed the already scarily pale man pale further, at her bluntness. "But Remus, I _am_ sorry for it; for it all."

The two returned to their awkward silence, Ella fidgeting as Remus took a minute to comprehend everything he'd just been told and to decide what to say next.

"So you were smoking weed were you?" He asked, still looking concerned although less so than before.

"Yes," Ella admitted, ashamed of her actions. She'd honestly thought that she'd grown out of all this acting out but last night just proved that just as leopards can't change their spots, some people never change, and old habits repeat themselves. "I'm sorry Remus, I hope you're not angry."

It was now Ella's turn to look sheepish.

"I'm not angry," He admitted, "Just disappointed."

The pair met eyes for the first time since they'd reached the lake and held a serious expression for a moment or two before they simultaneously broke out in laughter.

"What?" Remus questioned defensively, although still laughing himself.

"I'm sorry, but I think you just completely out clichéd yourself as a typical parent there." Ella laughed, teasing the man she was so dearly fond of. "I'm not angry, just disappointed." She mimicked, "I mean; shit's gone down when you're just disappointed." She clutched her stomach as a tear rolled down her unevenly toned cheek.

"Okay, it really wasn't that funny," He chuckled as Ella kept repeatedly attempting – and failing – to recompose herself, as they began to slowly wander back up to the castle.

"It was," She shook her head, wiping her cheeks dry.

The cool winter breeze had begun to pick up into a milder wind, but the clear blue sky and bright winter's sun kept the weather pleasant. The grass and tree branches gently rustled in the wind, filling any silences, which were admittedly much more comfortable than those of the walk down.

"So how are things with Fred?" Remus asked cautiously, hoping desperately he was managing to strike that incredibly hard balance that most fathers – or just fatherly figures – had to try and master, between being supportive and being just plain down nosy. However, his doubts were relieved when he saw that telltale grin creep across Ella's face. Although he'd had his reserves about the boy and his reputation and the way Ella had taken it so hard when things became messed up between them over summer, deep down he was happy with whoever made Ella happy and on getting to know Fred better over the Summer, a lot of his reservations had been dis-proven as he proved himself to really care about the girl.

"They're good," She smiled to herself in content. And they were; things were very good. Yes, okay, so maybe things were a bit more..._eventful_...for the pair of them than other couples, but at the end of the day, she was a Potter; drama was her middle name. "They're really good,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Later on that evening, as Ella sat staring at her potions essay as she attempted to re-write it for what must have been the sixth time. Her mind had gone a blank. The events, drama and stress of the past twenty four hours had wiped her clean out, yet at the same time her mind was whizzing away at a hundred miles an hour. However, unhelpfully, it seemed to keep flickering to anything but potions.

However, she couldn't blame herself; it was much more pleasurable than stupid bloody potions essays. Her mind wandered off again to the moment of just before she found herself outside Dumbledore's office...

_Ella sighed deeply, inhaling that heavenly scent of deodorantised, sex induced sweat and the smell of Fred's natural spicy, musky aftershave. Tracing lazy patterns on his bare chest with the tips of her fingers, she could feel Fred's gaze watching her closely with a light amusement. _

_"Why are we such fuck ups?" He mused, running one of his large quidditch-induced, rough hands through her tangled but soft hair that was still partially damp from her shower before he'd come to see her. His hand rested gently at the back of the neck, as though he was nurturing a small baby, and tilted her head to face his._

_"I don't know," She whispered, leaning right in so they were a mere matter of centre meters apart, "but we both are, and that's why just seem to fit together so well," She teased the red head. _

_"You're not wrong there," He chuckled, closing the remaining distance between them and pressing his lips chastely against hers. As the kiss developed, he ran his other hand up Ella's bare, long, lean side to her neck, where it joined his other hand, to cup her face lovingly. _

_However, the peace of serenity of their all too brief moment was shattered by a loud rapping at the bedroom door. _

_"Oi, Lovebirds!" Angelina's voice bellowed through the doors, thick with amusement in a way that let Ella know her friend was fully aware of the nature of the scenario she would be interrupting. _

_Quickly, Ella grabbed her dressing gown from where Fred had strewn it on the floor as he undressed her a couple of hours prior. Fastening the robe to cover her decency, she called to her friend to come. _

_"Bloody hell, Ange!" Fred scrambled to cover himself, causing both the girls to give far too satisfied grins for his liking. "On second thought, it's a bit hot in here," He mused, pulling the covers back down his bare torso, and then dangerously close to his pelvis._

_"Stop!" Angelina laughed, blocking the potentially friendship-ruining, scaring sight of her best friend's genitals with her hands. _

_"Fred, put some clothes on," Ella laughed chucking him his boxers and jeans, before turning to her friend, "what was it Ange?" She asked. "Assuming there was a reason for the interruption and you weren't just unable to resist trying to ruin a moment," She shot her friend a wink._

_"To be fair, that does sound like something I'd do," Angelina let out a bark of laughter, "But no, Dumbledore's sent for you," _

_"Oh really?" Ella mused, praying to God it hadn't gone round the school so quickly that the headmaster already knew about her indiscressions of the previous night. "What about, do you know?"_

_"Erm, well," Angelina paused for a moment to decide how best to phrase the fact she was most likely about to the all too awkward talk about the birds and the bees, the spread of Sexually Transmitted infections and diseases and the evilness of drugs, "Remus is here."_

_Ella's face dropped. Shit. Oh shitty, shit, shit. He had looked furious that morning – livid even – but she'd been feeling too ill to neither care nor deal with it. Now, however, she had to face him one on one. _

_"Do you need me to come with you? At least to outside the office?" Fred offered, seeing how much the thought was distressing his girlfriend. _

_However, before Ella got a chance to reply two more chattering girls came through the door, ditching their coats and backs from Hogsmead on their beds before they realised they'd just walked in on something. _

_"Holy shit," Katie laughed in surprise to see a half naked boy in Ella's bed and Ella and Angelina stood talking as though it was nothing. Honestly, she thought, those two have a bit of a twisted friendship. _

_"Alright?" Fred greeted his friend with a cheeky wink, laughing as she went bright red as she realised the extent of his nakedness and how low the cover that he hadn't re-pulled up to completely cover himself, was. _

_"Erh, yeah fine thanks," She whipped round to the girl who she'd entered the room with, who was still busying herself putting her shopping away, apparently oblivious to the scenario she'd just walked smack bang into the middle of. _

_"Shit." Fred whispered under his breath as Alicia Spinnet turned to see why Katie had suddenly started acting all weird, and made direct eye contact with him, her face contorting into a picture of fury as she began to work out exactly what had gone one. _

_"You've got to be kidding me," She spat under her breath, her venomous glare spinning from Fred, to Ella then back to Fred. If looks could kill, Fred, Ella and probably anyone that crossed the livid girl in the next few hours (or days) would currently be six feet under. "...the fuck is wrong with you!" She half whispered, half shouted, creating a quite threatening and intimidating effect, her face turning an ugly shade of purple-red, and her eyes narrowing an unnatural amount. _

_Without another word or glance to anyone, Alicia stormed out of the room, black glossy hair flying behind her, slamming the door so hard as she went that the group could have sworn they felt the room physically tremor._

_"Well, that was...awkward," Fred broke the stunned silence. _

_The three remaining girls all looked at him in disbelief. _

_"Freddie, you I love you," Angelina shook her head in despair, "But please dear Merlin, tell me you did not tell that girl you were going to start seeing her, did you?" _

_"I did no such thing!" He said indignantly. _

_"Fred," Ella winced, not particularly wanting to bring up the painful memories of last night , but knowing it was completely necessary to do so, "I heard what you said to her. I could see how she would get that idea," _

_"We don't know that she's got that idea though!" Fred tried to protest. _

_"Oh no, we know she has," Angelina sighed in despair. Fricking boys were honestly just so clueless sometimes it dumfounded her. _

_"Yeah," Katie added, "She does. She's been telling me all day about things she had planned for the two of you to do as a couple and how you'd gotten back together last night and that she blamed Ella – sorry Elles – for your last break up and that she knew you'd 'come running back'" Katie fought the urge to gag at her last words. _

_"You've got to be kidding me," Fred sighed exasperatedly, "Why is she so full on?"_

_"Oh boo-fricking-hoo!" Ella threw a pillow off of Angelina's bed at her boyfriend, "Poor Fred Weasley having just too many girls throwing themselves at him," She teased, her voice laced in sarcasm. _

_"It's hard work!" He tried to defend himself, earning an eye role off of each girl. _

_"Right, I'm going back downstairs, where it's quite frankly less eventful," Angelina shook her head with a laugh. "Katie, should we leave the lovers to get dressed and go and sort out their shit,"_

_"But I don't want to go see that raving loon!" Fred protested. "If I look at her she'll think I'm fucking proposing!" _

_"And I don't want to see Remus and you can't make me!" Ella stomped her foot._

_"When you two stop being kids and make your amends, we'll see the pair of you at dinner later. Katie?" And with that the two girls left the room, leaving the couple to look at eachother in despair, but cracking up when they realised the mutual level of horrendously uncomfortable aggravation that lay ahead for both of them. _

_"Good luck with the loon," Ella teased just as she was leaving the room._

_"You too kidder, you too."_

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you for all being so patient with me! I can't believe how long it's taking me to update and to be honest they're not going to get all that much better over the next few months with GCSEs and then going to Malaysia for a month (if anyone's been let me know how you found it :) ), but I do promise that I will keep updating; I'm abandoning this story at all, I love writing too much! As always, keep the reviews coming in. Happy reading,**

**xoxo - C**


	53. Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nearly a week had passed since Malfoy had told everyone about his and Ella's relationship and, although things were starting to settle back to normal, the school was still reeling at the revelations of their previously highly esteemed 'Gryffindor Princess', as she'd over heard herself be referred to by lower class-men - which still made her cringe to that day - who'd previously been thought to be squeaky clean and some sort of virginial saint to everyone other than her close friends.

Ever since she'd arrived at the school, Ella had managed to be well known throughout the school and wasn't an uncommon topic of conversation, but then what else is to be expected when you're the brother of the only person in history known to survive the killing curse; being one of Hogswarts very few transfers and of course, being entered into the triwizard tournament against her will. However, never before had she been quite so mortified by the attention.

Even a week later, as she walked into the Great Hall, she had to hold her head high and pretend to be deaf to the blatantly obvious whispers, murmurs, sniggers and those God dam awful gawking stares as if she was suddenly a different person.

On the Friday evening before the Saturday marking a week since everything blew up in her face, the same sequence repeated itself for an innumerable time as Ella walked into dinner on her own, her friends already being sat down.

"I just cannot understand why people have nothing better to do than gawk. I didn't murder any kids or rob any banks! I think it's about time everyone just calms the _fuck_ down," She ranted exasperatedly as she heaved herself into her seat between Fred and Katie Bell, causing the group to laugh at her frustration, which only frustated her further.

Fred shook his head softly in amusement and tried to calm his - as he assumed - hormonal girlfriend, placing a soothing hand on her leg, "They only talk because their own lives are so boring and they have nothing better to do."

"Well I would gladly welcome a less dramatic life," She huffed, puffing out her chest indignantly.

"Maybe it would be less dramatic if you stopped with the constant dramatics," Angelina teased, as she had been experiencing Ella's hormonal mood swings all day.

Ella just scowled at her friend playfully. "Well, I'm hungry; where's food?" And with that the conversation quickly moved on.

Later that night in the common room, when only Fred, Ella, George, Angelina, Katie, Harry, Ron and Hermione remained; they got out a stack of exploding snap cards.

Three singed eyebrows and two cases of mild burns to nose tips later, Angelina and George turned in for the night, however not heading to the dorms at all but likely venturing to find a place where they could have a bit more privacy.

"Does anyone else ever envy their relationship?" Katie sighed dramatically, earning her questioning looks from her friends. "Well don't you? It just always seems so...well...easy," She struggled to explain what she meant.

"I get you," Hermione nodded, "No drama, no fuss; nothing. No qualms or worries about whether the other still likes them or whether he or she is being faithful, it's just...easy,"

Ella shook her head with a light chuckle, she knew what her friends meant, but if only they knew the hours Angelina had spent complaining, worrying and moaning to Ella, who had sat and listened very patiently as all should good friends, only to tell her to give her head a shake and that her and George were a great couple.

"Anyway," Hermione, who had been studying rather than partaking in their game, closed her slightly horrifyingly thick book, with a thud, "I'm going to bed, seeing as I have to do _so_ much transfiguration work to do tomorrow,"

"Hermione, she hasn't even said we've got a test," Ron moaned, backed up by Harry.

"Yes, but she _hinted,_ and rather heavily at that. It's all about inference, Ronald. If you want to fail, then that's up to you, but _I'm _going to bed," She said before turning on her heel and marching up the girls' dormitory steps.

"Bloody hell, just when you think that girl's starting to mellow out," Ron rolled his eyes.

"I heard that Ronald," Hermione's voice sang down the stairs, "Good night."

Two games later, Ella decided Hermione had the right idea going to bed, as her eyelids felt increasingly heavy.

"I think I'm going to head off to bed as well," She smiled, kissing Fred on the cheek chastely, standing to leave, "Oh and Ange asked me to remind you all that she wants to see you all on the quidditch pitch at quarter to six tomorrow morning,"

Ella just swanned off, cackling all too evilly as she listened to the cries of outrage and upset coming from the remaining quidditch players, whom she'd known had forgotten all about the extra early practice their team captain had scheduled.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Ella pulled on her quidditch sweater quickly as she whipped her other jumper off, grateful for its warmth once it had been pulled over her head, trapping in the warmth of her multiple thermal under-layers, protecting her from the cruel, harsh December early morning, cold air.

Katie Bell, much like Ella and Ginny, looked as though she was about ready to murder someone - namely their captain whose bright idea this was - for making her be up and active at this ungodly hour. The only time it was acceptable to be awake before six o'clock was if she hadn't even got in from a night out yet.

"Morning guys, can you come in here please," She called from the main changing room, where the boys had finished getting ready.

"So. fucking. happy. _all_. the fucking time," Katie groaned as the chirpiness in Anglina's voice scratched their tired, sleepy ears painfully, like sharp rodent claws. Angelina hadn't even thought twice when arranging a practice for before six in the morning, as she was normally out running by then most mornings. Physco.

"Now now, grumpy, let's remain civil," Ella teased, the extent of Katie's bad mood, lightening her own.

As they entered the room, Ella had to surpress a laugh as she saw the boys' faces all resoundingly echoed Katie's crabby mood.

"Someone's looking cheerful," Ella remarked as she took a seat next to Fred, just to recieve a deathly glare.

"You've been spending too much time with that physcopath," Fred grunted, turning his glare to Angelina.

"How come?" Ella chuckled at the extreme statement.

"You're becoming a..._morning person,"_ He said with such disgust, anyone would think it was code speak for a death eater or something equally as heinous and vile.

"Oh cheer up grumpy," She teased, chuckling quietly as he shivered, "Would you like my scarf?" She teased.

"No." He huffed indignantly. "I'm the lad, I don't take your clothing; it's the other way round,"

Ella just rolled his eyes and chuckled at his instinctive sexism. _Boys. _

Angelina was now clearing her throat, demanding the attention of all the sour faced Gryffindors and silencing their mutinous mutterings.

"Right, seeing as this is our first proper meeting as a whole team since last week's match; I just want to congratulate you all on our impressive win over Slytherin!" She announced, the memory of their triumphant and victorious win causing many of their moods to lift - but only moderately, after all, it was still practically the middle of the night to most of them. "I think it's sufficient to say we crushed their sorry arses," She continued, "However, Ravenclaw's team seem to be the strongest they've been in a long while, which is why we _cannot_ slack or relax! We need to train, train and train more; morning, night, whenever. This cup is ours this year. We've got the strongest team by far; we _have_ to win,"

Angelina finished her motivational speech to look around and see that it had had very little if no affect on the practically sleeping Gryffindors.

"For fuck sake," She murmured, storming into the girls' changing rooms. "Incendio," She murmured under her breath, holding her wand up to one of the senors, effectively setting off the fire alarm and therefore sprinklers in the changing rooms.

Angelina threw her head back and let out a loud bark of laughter as she heard the squeals and shouts of shock and complaints.

"Right, OUT ON THE FIELD. NOW!" Angelina yelled on re-entering the rooms of screaming Gryffindors.

Out on the field, Angelina's little prank seemed to have woken up the team and kick started their determination to practice feverishly, if only to get back to bed as soon as possible.

Practice was intense but all the same, enjoyable as they worked better as a team than ever before, the morale of their resounding win the previous week still keeping spirits soaring high.

"Hey, Ella," Harry, caught up with his sister in a light jog as they were walking back to the changing rooms after practice had finished.

"Oh hey, Harry," She greeted awkwardly, all too aware that she hadn't been alone with her brother since Malfoy had opened his huge mouth after the match, something which was in no way accidental, scared of her brother's reaction to her sleeping with his infamous enemy.

"I feel like I've barely seen you this week," He remarked casually, causing Ella to wonder whether there was a deeper behind his comment or whether she was just over analysing everything as she usually did.

"Yeah, I know," She laughed softly, in attempt of smothering the awkwardness in her tone, "It's just been one of those weeks, ya' know," She shrugged.

"Sure you've not just been avoiding me,"

Ella's stomach jumped into her mouth as her heart dropped. This was the last thing she wanted. Her brother was the last person she wanted to fight with; anyone, even Fred, but not Harry. _Oh God_, she thought, _if he's pissed about Malfoy Merlin only knows what he'd say about Sirius. _She cringed inwardly at the though of him finding out.

However, once again she realised she'd been over analysing everything, as she turned to see his expression light and playful.

"N..no of course not you idiot," She teased back, recovering herself as quick as she could and he didn't seem to even notice her falter.

"How about we go for a butterbeer this afternoon then?" He asked with a warm, hopeful smile, his eyes glinting mischeivously.

"I do hope I'm not hearing my little brother suggest we should sneak out of school grounds," She teased back.

"It's not sneaking if there's no crouching involved, and I think you'll find the passage is perfectly tall enough for the two of us," He shot back, causing Ella to shake her head and chuckle.

"Not quite sure that counts, but whatever; it sounds good. Meet you after lunch at two in the common room?"

"Yeah, great," He smiled, "See you then,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Where you off out to?" Angelina questioned, arching one of her finely sculpted eyebrows in a suggestive questioning manner, as she watched her friend straighten her hair with her wand. "Meeting any certain redhead by any chance?" Her lips curled in amusement.

"Actually no, this one has black hair," Ella replied, deciding to have a bit of fun of her own, as she dusted some light powder foundation on her cheeks, evening out her English rose complexion.

It took most of the will power she had to force herself not to laugh or smile as she watched her friend's coy smirk drop and her face twist with utter confusion, through the mirror.

"Oh, really?" Angelina finally managed to speak.

"Yeah, we're going for drinks at the Three Broomsticks," Ella feigned embarrassment.

"Oh." Angelina faltered, unsure of what to say next. "Well, what's he like?"

"Oh, he's a really lovely lad, you know?" She gushed, inwardly creasing in two at how easily her friend was buying the whole thing, her face a masterpiece of confusion riddled curiosity and wonder.

"Oh yeah? Who is it? Do I know him?" Angelina questioned, suspicious of who this new boy might be and what on Earth had made Ella ditch Fred for him. But wait, she hadn't' ditched Fred at all. Just at breakfast that morning, the couple had been very cosy. She had to tell him, he was like a brother to her and she couldn't see him get hurt. But then again, Ella was her best friend and she couldn't break her trust. Oh holy crap.

"Oh you know him alright," Ella teased wickedly.

"Well then who is it? What's his name?" She damanded.

"Harry," Ella smiled puckishly, "Harry Potter."

She let out a loud bark of laughter as she watched her friend take a moment to process what she'd just said and then as her face dropped in realisation that she'd been had.

"You arsehole!" She threw a pillow hard, straight at Ella's head. "You really had me going. I was already planning my intervention in stopping you cheating and ruining your relationship with Fred in my head. How could you?" She huffed angrily.

"Well at least it's nice to know you won't knowingly let me completely fuck my life up," Ella shot her a wicked grin.

"Well you need all the help you can get with that," She shot back, causing Ella to throw the pillow back at her.

Lining her eyes swiftly with ebony eyeliner and mascara, before finishing by lithely applying her coral luste lipstick, Ella glanced at her watch to see it was already quarter past two. "Shit," She muttered, grabbing her bag, stuffing her wand and lipstick in it just for safe measure, and flying out the room, yelling her farewells to her roommate as she went.

When she reached the common room, she was surprised to see Harry wasn't even there yet. This was most extrordinary, seeing as he was usually quite prompt to everything, unless he had a good reason and when it came to her brother, his reasons usually tended to involve saving the wizarding and muggle world from the greatest forces of evil in some form or another.

"Hey, didn't think you'd be here yet," He mused as he padded down the stairs and spotted his sister waiting.

"Well, yeah, we were meant to be meeting fifteen minutes ago weren't we?" She questioned whether she'd misheard. She expected him to look at her like some sort of insane freak, instead he just laughed.

"Well, yeah we were but whenever we arranged a time to meet, you're pretty much always around twenty minutes late, which is why I always tell you the time twenty minutes before I plan to get somewhere," He explained.

"I'm not that bad!" Ella scoffed, embarrassed at having gained such a reputation for being so unreliable.

"What time did you get down here?" He raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"Just after two actually," She lied indignantly.

"Bullshit."

"Is not,"

"Is too,"

"It's not!"

"How come you were no where to be seen when I came through the common room to my dorm at ten past?" He challenged his older sister, enjoying his obvious triumph far too much for Ella's liking.

"Well...I was just-" She began to quickly come up with an excuse but quickly realised he was on to her, "Okay I wasn't, but I could have been!" She protested.

"But you weren't," Harry pointed out.

"Git,"

"You love me anyway," He teased her playfully, "Anyway, are we going then or what?"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

In the bathroom of the Three Broomsticks, Ella reapplied her lipstick with a shaky hand. Popping her lips, she surveyed her appearance and for the first time really appreciated how naturally pale she was. Having always lived abroad previously, her skin had always been a natural olivey tone, but after little over a year in England, she most definitely had the trade mark English descent pale skin that just screamed a lack of exposure to the sun.

She had just excused herself from the table, a rather intense conversation with her brother.

Ella was the kind of person that, given the option, would always much rather bury her head in the sand and ignore issues as a was to make them just go away. However, as always, the universe in it's ever mystical ways, had found a way to royally fuck up her plan to do just that.

Harry had brought both of their drinks to the table which she'd gone and found whilst he ordered. She'd chosen a booth in the corner of the room, near the warmth of the crackling fire, which they both gladly greeted after the Baltic winter wind outside, with the plush booth seats retaining more heat than those wooden chairs of the stand alone, wooden tables.

Ella began to gaze around the room as she waited for her brother. With it not being a Hogsmeade weekend, there wasn't anyone that Ella particularly recognised other than the pub's usual punters that only seemed familiar from seeing them sat drinking in the pub.

The pub was a sweet and cosy one, that held great sentimental value to many people- both students and residents of Hogsmeade. People would be practically lost without the pub, she thought to herself, inwardly praying that it survived the hard time she could tell were fast approaching.

"Have you seen this?" Harry handed Ella a copy of the Daily Prophet from under his arm as he sat down with their drinks.

"No?" Ella screwed up her brow in confusion, taking the paper off her brother, registering his anxious expression as she did so.

Within seconds of scanning the front page, her face changed from an expression of confusion to one of worry and dread, one that was not a million miles away from her brother's.

"Ten prisoners escaped from Azkaban?!" She muttered in disbelief. "Thought that place was meant to be inescapable," She half joked, rolling her eyes, "apparently not,"

Depsite her joking attempts to lighten the glum mood and quite frankly dire situation, Harry's face remained stoney and hard.

"I think you should keep reading Elle," He placed a comforting hand on hers, form across the table, giving her that look that an older relative would usually give you when they convince you to tell your parents the truth about why their fifty year old white rum miraculously tasted like water.

Ella just rolled his eyes at his dramatics. What on Earth was he getting himself worked up about?

"It has been confirmed by the Minister for Magic that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban, when ten high-security prisoners broke free in the early hours of yesterday evening. Blah, blah blah-" She scanned the page, looking for whatever it was that Harry was obviously so keen for her to see.

Then she saw it; and she understood exactly why he was looking at her the way he was. It couldn't be.

"He...He can't have," She said in disbelief.

Her heart was thudding so loud that she could feel the blood being pushed around in her ears. Her palms began cold and clammy as she felt a wave of nausea wash over her like a tumultuous tsunami and she felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breath. It was as though someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the air around her and she was hopeless to do anything about it.

"I'm sorry Elle, I thought you'd already seen it," Harry apologised, feeling terrible for managing to so quickly ruin the mood of their little sibling outing, that the pair of them had both been looking forward to all morning.

"But...how?" Was all she could say. She tried over and over to find more words, but her efforts were futile; none were forthcoming.

"They're blaming Sirius for helping them escape but we both know that's a load of crap," Harry's expression once again went stoney and angry at the fact the ministry were still using his Godfather as a scape goat. Thankfully for Ella, he was too wrapped up in his own anger and emotions, to notice her face drain and falter at the mention of Sirius. But by the time he paid attention to her again, she had recomposed herself and now had a falsely bright and cheery smile plastered across her face in a deceptive facade that she had perfected so well over the years.

On seeing his sister's inappropriately bright expression, he sent her a questioning look. "What? Are you not bothered?"

"About what?" She asked in a such a sweet, ignorant manner it almost infuriated Harry. Why was she suddenly acting so weird and cool about the whole thing?

Seeing the almost scornful look he was giving her, Ella turned down the extent to which she was playing dumb. "Oh, you mean am I bothered about the fact Karkaroff was one of the prisoners who escaped?" She brushed off in a blase tone.

"Welll...aren't you?" Harry faltered, bewildered to who this stranger sat in front of him was and as to where his sister had gone.

"No, not really," She lied, shrugging her shoulders, "It's not like he can get anywhere near me unless he wants to be caught and sent straight back to Azkaban is it?"

"Uh, well I suppose not?" Harry still looked utterly confused.

An awkward silence ensued between the pair as Harry tried in vain to work out what in Merlin's name was going on in that head of his sisters, whilst she just sat with that dumb, false smile plastered across her face, gazing around the pub, apparently now interested in people watching.

"I'm going to get another drink," She finally announced, rising from her seat, "want one?"

"Err, no thanks," Harry answered, his brow still deeply furrowed.

As Ella turned her back on her brother, she allowed her glassy facade to falter, as that all too familiar feeling of impending dread and doom hit her like a brick wall.

He was out. He was really out, and before he'd been sent down, he'd sworn faithfully to find her and get her when he got out.

She just prayed he wasn't stupid enough to expose himself like that. But supposed he had others helping him. Afterall, Ella knew he had many friends involved in the dark arts whilst she'd stayed with him, and weren't they all supposed to be reuniting now that Voldermort had returned to the land of the living.

She shook her head. She needed to stop having such thoughts or it wouldn't matter whether Igor ever got to her or not because she'd have already sent herself mad with worry and fear.

"Can I have one butterbeer and one firewhisky please," Ella ordered when she got to the bar, deciding she could do with a drink to steady her nerves.

From where she was stood waiting, she gazed back over to their table where a swift movement caught her eye.

A large barn owl had delivered something to her brother, and guessing the time at which it chose to deliver it, which was not the normal Hogwarts morning post slot, whatever it was, the sender didn't want it to be seen by many if any people.

"There you go," The middle-aged bartender set her drinks down, sending her a wink as he did so.

She quickly downed the shot, relishing in the burn as it rolled down the back of her neck, before grabbing her butterbeer and heading back to her table.

"What's that about?" Ella asked curiously, as she re-took her seat, indicating towards the large, black barn owl that was now perched on their table, nipping softly at Harry's arm, asking for a treat for it's hardships, causing Ella to smile.

She loved animals and the innocence and playful light atmosphere they could always seem to bring to even the most awkward of encounters.

However, this was an atmosphere that Harry didn't seem to be picking up on, as his face was hard and emotionless, and being a boy as quick to anger as Harry, that worried Ella more than if he'd started shouting and screaming right there.

"It's just a letter." He said bluntly as he continued to read whatever it was.

"Oh yeah?" She tried to keep her tone light and carefree. "Who's it from?"

"I think we need to talk; it's from Sirius."


	54. Fire a Gun, We Need Someone to Lean on

"Who's it from?" She tried to ask casually, ready to curse when she heard the crack in the voice give her away.

"I think we need to talk; it's from Sirius." He replied, his face was hard and blank, which worried Ella more than if he started yelling at her.

For a moment, her concern was written all over her face, as her facade betrayed her and faltered. But she quickly and gracefully recovered, plastering on a glassy emotionless smile and gaze.

"How come?" She smiled sweetly, but Harry did not smile back. Instead, he just handed her the letter so she could read it herself.

She scanned it briefly, seeing that he talked of the escaped death eaters and warning Harry to extra cautious and safe. That's when she saw it. She didn't want to read it. She wanted to tear it up and pretend like she'd seen nothing. But of course; she could not.

_And now I come to the even more unpleasant business I'm afraid. You see Harry, you might already be aware of this, but I would like you to hear it from me first if possible and if not, then at least I might be able to explain myself and beg for your forgiveness. __I can't th __Er, well you see __ Well, what I am trying to tell you is that last week, when Ella came home, we had been drinking a lot as we were both equally fed up for different reasons, and we sort of ended up sleeping together. Well not sort of; we did...twice. I'm sorry, you really didn't need that detail._

Ella's heart was thudding as she read it. She could feel heat rushing to her cheek, her glassy facade long forgotten as realised now was no time to play coy. Her hands shaking as she held the piece of parchment, she carried on.

_I cannot not apologise enough and I understand if you never want to speak to me again. I am so ashamed at what I've done. I shouldn't have taken advantage of Ella the way I did. I hope you can find a way to forgive me. Take care,_

_Padfoot_

"Harry," Ella began, looking up from the letter, her emerald eyes glossy and full of regret and unshed tears that were threatening to break free and spill down her face in torrents.

"Don't," He silenced her apology before it ever came, "Don't apologise. You don't need to, I'm not mad," He looked at her with a very kind eye, feeling great sympathy for her, hating seeing her looking so distressed.

"W...what?" She stuttered, caught completely off guard, having been fully ready to start groveling as he shouted at her, condemning her with his disappointment and disgust.

"I'm not angry," He shrugged, "Why should I be? It's your life and you're plenty old enough to make those decisions yourself. Besides, we're not in the 19th century; it would be a bit creepy if I controlled your relationships."

"A..are you sure?" She looked at him in disbelief. "You're not angry in the slightest?" He shook his head. "But he's your Godfather,"

"Yeah I know,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't get me wrong," he laughed, "am I slightly weirded about you being with my Godfather? Yes, incredibly; but not mad,"

Ella looked at her brother like she never had before. She realised that he was definitely no longer a little boy; but an adult now. He certainly had the maturity of one, at least most of the time. And whilst she was incandescently proud to call him her brother, it also saddened that she knew he was this way because his childhood and all of the crap he'd had to contend with over the years, had forced him to grow up before his time.

"Thank you," she smiled at him graciously, reaching over the table and giving his hand a squeeze.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The next week raced away, as the Christmas holidays drew ever closer and Ella couldn't wait. That said, neither could any of her friends. One more week of deadlines, essays and assignments and then they'd all be free. Well, they could at least pretend they were for a few weeks.

"What are you doing for Christmas this year?" Katie asked them all generally as she lounged on her bed, dramatically sighing as the excitement of the forthcoming holidays had made her like a young child on a constant sugar rush.

To be fair to Katie, the whole dormitory had been more restless than usual for the past couple of days, but they'd been too busy to notice. In fact, this was probably the first time in around a week that the four of them had actually been in the dorm at the same time, apart from sleeping.

Angelina sat on the floor next to her bed, sorting through books, trying to decide which ones she needed to take home with her and which ones she could get away with leaving behind, whilst Ella was sat in the middle of the room for some unexplained reason, biting her tongue in concentration as she painted her toes a deep scarlet. Meanwhile, Alicia was feverishly looking threw her suitcase for only Merlin knows what.

Things had been uncomfortable between Ella and Alicia over the past week but no more so than at any other time in the rest of that term. Since the _incident_ with Alicia and Fred the previous week, neither girl confronted the other.

Whilst Alicia felt smug and satisfied that she'd managed to throw a metaphysical punch at her roommate where it seriously hurt, she was pissed that the couple had gotten back together so soon after and it aggravated her greatly that that stupid girl seemed to be able to do no wrong in the eyes of Fred.

Additionally, whilst Ella was furious at Alicia for manipulating Fred to hurt her in that way, she had as previously mentioned, gotten back together with Fred the following morning, so she felt like she'd triumphed over the girl enough not to say anything.

So with the combination of that and the mutual longing for some form of peace at this late stage in the term; there hadn't been any arguments, confrontations or fights within the dorm for a while...just icy glares, awkward silences and snide jabs at times.

"I'm going to my mum's up until Christmas, then to my Dad's after, " Angelina replied to Katie's question.

Angelina's had split back in her third year, and Christmas had always been a bit of a hard and awkward time of year for her since then, as she had to sit back and watch as each parent battled for her affection by trying to out do each other.

"But at least we're all spending Christmas day together at my mum's, with Dad's fiance and Mum's new boyfriend," Angelina smiled at the thought of her parents getting along better than they had in a long time.

"Awh, that'll be nice," Katie beamed, truly pleased for her friend, having been the one who had been there for her when it had all gotten messy, "How about you Elle?"

"Huh?" Ella looked up from her toes, tongue still firmly clamped between her teeth. "Oh I'm spending the holidays with Harry, Remus and the Weasleys," She smiled, making sure to leave Sirius out in front of Alicia.

Ella couldn't help but notice Alicia's blatant eye roll as at the, not even explicit, mention of the boy that had caused this Cold War.

"Got anything special planned with a certain someone?" Katie winked at her, deciding she could no longer be bothered walking round on egg shells around Alicia, she'd made her bed and now she'd just have to suck it up and lie in it.

Ella just chuckled, and shook her head, "No, not really. I think I might take him into muggle London sometime seeing as when I mentioned the London Eye, he thought it was some sort of government surveillance system," Ella scoffed, causing the girls - except Alicia of course - to laugh.

"I do wonder what goes through that boys head at times," Angelina laughed, as she snapped shut a case that was now nearly full of books she decided she could do without and pushed it under the bed.

"Tell me about," Alicia remarked snidely, "Stupid comments, stupid decisions," She not so subtly hinted, but her roommates knew better than to give her the reaction she yearned for.

"Are you meeting up with George at all?" Ella asked Angelina as she sat down next to her on the floor, before offering to paint her toes as well.

"Yeah, he's going to come and meet my Dad one night over dinner, then my mum at her company's Christmas do," Angelina smiled, agreeing to let Ella paint her nails.

Ella set to work once again, with her tongue between her teeth and polish brush between her thumb and index finger. She loved the colour red but it always left her devastated at how much better Angelina suited it than herself.

"How about you Katie?" Angelina asked, as she lounged back and allowed her monkey to get to work at her feet. "You doing anything nice?"

"I'm going home first for Christmas, then after that I'm spending a week at Lee's, then he's going to spend the last week at mine," A small blush crept to her face.

Angelina and Ella shared a surprised look, amused at their friend's embarrassment.

"I didn't realise you and Lee were that serious?" Ella mused.

"Yeah, well we're not really," Katie just shrugged, "Things are just going well and you know, we though it'd be nice,"

"I'm sure it will be," Angelina gave her a reassuring smile.

The girls carried on with their excitable chatter of the upcoming holidays, and Ella had moved on to painting Katie's nails, when they heard muffled voices on the other side of the door. But that's not what stopped them in their conversation. It was the fact that the voices they could hear sounded positively...male.

Ridiculous as it sounds, male voices were never - literally almost _never_ \- heard up the Gryffindor girls' dormitories, as the founders had enchanted their staircase to turn into a long winding slide the moment a male foot dared step on it.

"Shh, they're going to hear us," They heard a familiar voice scold.

"We're not here to creep up on them," they heard another voice, full of frustration but also amusement, "just go on will you,"

"Alright, okay! I'm going!" Lee Jordan announced, coming into the room, with his hands held up defensively as the twins' looked as though they were ready to hex him.

"You planning to prank us?" Ella raised a quizzical eyebrow at the boys as they entered, each making their way over to their respective girl friend, leaving Alicia alone on the other side of the room.

"Me?" Fred put his hand on his heart dramatically. "I'm offended you'd think such a thing of me," He shot her a cheeky wink, before leaning in swiftly and kissing her suavely.

"Careful!" Katie yelled with a laugh. "You two are going to smudge my nails!"

"Girls." The twins scoffed with a synchronised eye roll.

They were all laughing light heartedly, when Alicia decided it was time to make her dramatic exit.

"Urgh, I'm going." She announced. "This is nauseating," Slamming the door behind her.

There was a unanimous eye roll, as they all were not so secretly quite gald Alicia had decided to leave. It was at moments like this, when they all had such a mutual dislike for the girl, that Ella felt almost sorry for her. Afterall, before Ella had came and joined their group, Alicia had been right at the centre of it.

"Not to be blunt you guys," Katie started politely, before Ella finished her sentence for her, knowing Katie would probably beat around the bush.

"But why are you here?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly. "And don't say just to see us,"

The three boys exchange a mischievous, knowing grin.

"Well," George started.

"We were thinking, that seeing as the holidays are so close,"

"And it's been _ages_ since we have,"

"Why don't we go out?" Fred finished, his eyes dancing in the low dormitory light with the thought of mischief, an impish grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

The three girls all shared a look, mischievous and excited grins spreading across their faces all at the same time.

"You game then?" Lee asked, as they still hadn't replied a few moments later, prompting the three girls to laugh raucously.

"OF COURSE!" Ella yelled, excited at the prospect of going, deciding the boys were right and it had been far too long since they;d been out as a group.

The six teenagers began plotting where they were going to go and how they were going to get their.

Finally, they agreed upon starting with a couple of drinks at the three broomsticks and the trying this new club that had just opened in the neighbouring village, called the Witching Hour.

"Right, so now that's sorted; piss off so we can get ready," Angelina shoved her boyfriend out of the door, who was closely followed by the remaining boys and the girls were left to gossip, giggle and get ready as quickly as they could.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Nearly an hour later, the girls were just about ready, minus a few minor bits and pieces here and there.

"Has anyone seen my black strappy dress?" Angelina called to her friends from their adjoining bathroom.

Okay, so maybe the thing they were still missing weren't exactly minor, but in bulk they weren't far off being ready. If for no other reason, than they were too excited to get out to take too long over it.

"Pass me the Firewhisky!" Ella called over to Katie, who was finishing curling her rich brunette hair with her wand, before throwing Ella the bottle of alcohol over, which was now half empty seeing as the girls had felt it was a good money saving idea to start drinking early.

They hadn't, however, thought through how much harder they might be potentially making their attempt at sneaking out, if it hit them more than they'd planned.

After downing another shot, Ella finished her makeup, running a slick line of eyeliner on each of her lids, before dusting her cheeks with a light golden bronzer, giving her an unseasonably beautiful golden tanned glow.

Finally, slipping into a deep blue body-con dress, with the cut out sides accentuating her voluptuous figure, Ella was ready.

"Come onnnn!" She moaned to her roommates. "I want to go!" She stomped her foot childishly.

"You're such a child," Angelina laughed as she applied the finished touches to her outfit with jewelry.

Deliberating waiting for her friends for all of five seconds, Ella cocked her head to the side, the alcohol causing her to look as though she was in deep thought.

"Are yous ready or not then?!" She wailed, throwing herself on her bed.

"Just a minute!" Katie yelled from the bathroom.

Who would have thought three girls could cause so much chaos getting ready.

"Fine," Ella huffed, jumping her from her bed so quick that she went wobbly, "I'm going to go see the boys while I wait for _you _slow coaches," She exited the room dramatically, with her nose stuck in the air indignantly.

"let's hope she doesn't get lost in the play ground and makes it back in time for cookies and milk at bed time," Angelina joked with Katie as they laughed at their roommate's apparent alcohol induced childishness.

"Fred! George! Lee!" Ella called, giggling as she ran into their room. "Can we go, can we go, can we go?" She pleaded, leaping onto Fred's bed.

The three boys exchanged bemused looks.

"Has someone been pre-drinking?" George raised his eyebrow with a chuckle.

"No." Ella stuck her nose in the air indignantly.

As if her protestations had not been unconvincing enough, Ella then proceeded to fall off Fred's bed with a loud crash in an attempt to grab her wand off of the floor, where she'd dropped it on her arrival to the room. This, of course, caused great hilarity for the rest of the dorm.

" . ." Fred tried his best to wheeze out through his fits of hysteric laughter.

However, before Ella had chance to answer, the voices of her two best friends could be heard from the doorway.

"Are you ready or...what in Merlin's names happened?" Angelina asked, her facial expression a mixture of bemusement and a frown of confusion.

" ..." Lee tried to explain, his outstretched hand pointing at Ella, before bursting back into fits of laughter as the memory replayed in his head, too strong for him to continue his sentence, setting all three boys off again.

"You two should have seen it!" George, wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Seen what?" Katie question exasperated.

"I fell off the bed, okay?" Ella huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "And it sobered me up a bit so can we just go out now so you lot can catch up?"

"My pleasure," Fred chuckled, offering her his arm as he exited the room.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The newly opened nightclub was bouncing. The place was packed full of people, the music was thumbing along with a heavy base line and the drinks were flowing.

"This place is off the scale," Lee, who was the drunkest of the boys, beamed as he necked another shot, "Why is the first time we've come here?"

"Because it's only been open a week you gimp," Fred shook his head and laughed, downing a double shot himself in order to catch up with his lightweight friends. That was one of the greatest problems he and George found being as tall as they were, they always had to drink twice as much as everyone else before it would even affect them.

He looked round to see the three girls dancing together on the edge of the dance floor, laughing animatedly as the stumbled all over each other.

Slamming his shot glass down, Fred rose from his seat and headed over to where the group of girls were dancing.

"Come on squirt," He growled playfully in Ella's ear, catching a hold of her wrist and pulling her further into the centre of the dance floor, battling against the torrents of people, failing various limbs around haphazardly as another upbeat song, which Ella recognised to be a remix of a hit by a wizarding band called the Obsidian Ocelot.

Fred had her pressed close to his body as they move in syncopation with the heavy base. The blur of the alcohol and over-crowded, sweaty dance floor heightening every move, every touch. In that moment, it was only the two of them, despite the hundreds of people around them. They danced, laughed and drank the night away, totally unaware of everything going on around them.

It was that moment that Ella truly apprieciated what she had for the first time, and couldn't believe how close she had come to ruining it all on several occasions.

The couple had more fun then they could ever remember having before on a night out. That was, until, an urgent tugging on Ella's arm pulled them out of their secluded, heavenly bubble.

"Elle, come with me," Angelina's urgent shout, which over the music sounded no louder than a whisper.

Grabbing Fred's wrist with her free hand as she was dragged off by her best friend, Ella went to see what all the fuss was about.

"Where's Katie?" Ella shouted for Angelina to hear her as they pushed past person after person, back towards to bar.

"Toilet," She shouted back, "That's why I came to get you before she sees,"

"See what?" Fred shouted, but they the couple saw exactly what Angelina meant as the bar came into view, along with the sight of Lee pressing some unknown blonde up against the bar, snogging her as though it was the last chance he was ever going to have to do so.

"Katie's going to flip," Ella swore, knowing the feeling of seeing someone you love getting with someone else all too well. Although Katie had never talked much of her feelings for the boy and the pair had always claimed they were just having casual sex, it was obvious to the everyone else that they both cared very deeply for each other; or so they'd thought.

"What should we do?" Ella asked the older to, her brow crumpled in the internal battle of not wanting her friend to get hurt and see this but also not wanting to hide anything from her.

"Stay here," Fred told the two girls as he marched over to where his friend was frolicking with the stranger.

From where the girls stood, they could see Fred put a firm hand on Lee's shoulder saying something to him, in what looked like a firm but friendly voice. Lee turned to see who was being so rude as to interrupt him, and the way he stumbled back into the bar, knocking into the girl whose throat his tongue had been down seconds before, told the two on-lookers all they needed to know about the situation; Lee was blind drunk and probably barely even knew any of their names, or even his own for that matter.

They couldn't tell what was being said but it soon became clear that there was some heated words being exchanged.

"What's going on?" The voice of Katie shouted up from behind them.

The other two girls exchange alarmed looks.

"Erm, we're not really sure," Ella lied, and badly at that, but luckily for her, the excessive Firewhisky that Katie had consumed stopped her from noticing the hesitation.

"We should head ov-" Angelina was just about to make her way over to the boys when they watched the scene before them unfold in slow motion, the barrier of people between stopping the girls getting to the boys before it was too late.

Fred had gone to turn away from the petty argument, when Lee had placed a rough hand on his shoulder, swinging the taller lad round to face, bringing his other fist to collide painfully with Fred's jaw.

The blear of the noisy chatter and intrusive music became overwhelming for Ella as she watched on in horror. She knew Fred and his lack of rational thoughts at the best and most sober of times, but it was clear to Ella that he'd seen red and there was no going back.

By the time the girls reached the two brawling boys, they were attempting to take lumps of each other.

From where, no one knew, George ran up to his two roommates, shouting as he approached.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU TWO THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" he yelled in disgust, pulling his twin from where he had Lee pinned on the floor, catching his arm as he went to take another swing at Lee. "Oh no you don't," He spat in Fred's ear, pushing him back towards the girls, putting himself between the two boys, and going to help Lee up from where he lay with a bloodied nose on the floor of the club.

"Fred, what in Merlin's name was that?" Ella tugged on his arm, to keep him from striding straight back over to Lee and continuing what he started.

"He started it," Fred spat some blood onto the floor, although he couldn't tell whether it was his own or not. The numbing effect of the alcohol made him feel indestrucable, as though he couldn't be touched, but he was sure he'd feel it in the morning.

"I saw that, but don't re-start it." Ella scolded him, as he watched as his twin helped his opponent venomously. "Can we just get out of here?!" Ella yelled over the music, feeling as though she was being suffocated by the pressure of the people who had gathered to see the spectacle.

Reluctantly, but doing so with little argument in hearing the desperation in his girlfriend's voice, Fred took her hand and they exited the over packed club, where the pair slumped onto the floor just outside of the exit.

Fred pulled a packet of fags out of his pocket, and extracting one, lighting it deftly once it was between his lips.

"You shouldn't smoke you know, it's a bad habit," Ella said as she plucked the lit cigarette from between his fingers and placed it between her own lips, taking a long drag.

It wasn't long before Angelina came jogging out of the club, spotting the pair sprawled on the floor and approaching them.

"I've been looking for you two," She said sitting next to them with a sigh, taking the fag out of Ella's hand and taking a drag herself, "Lee's so drunk he can barely stand so George is going to help him back and Katie's clueless and wants to be with him," She rolled her eyes, hating that their friend was completely ignorant to Lee's antics, "so I guess us three may as well start heading back,"

They all agreed with a nod and finished the fag between them before getting up to leave.

The walk back was relatively quiet, the drama smothering the mood and sobering them all up much quicker than they wished.

"It was such a good night, why did it all have to get so fucked up," Ella complained, kicking a stone as they were reaching Hogsmeade.

"We _do_ go to Hogwarts you realise," Angelina laughed, almost bitterly, "Drama can't help but just follow us every where we go."

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry I've been so bad at updating recently but I'm trying to get a bit better again :) My first exam's in two days so I probably won't be very active until June now but I promise I'll get better after that :p I have, however, already got the next chapter written but I'm not going to post it until I get at least three reviews so you know what to do ;) Here's some little spoilers:**

**Ella: **"I've told you; I want _nothing _to do with you. Ever. again."

**And...**

**Hermione: **"Ella, quick! It's Harry..."


	55. How Can Anyone Feel so Wild but so Blue?

Fred woke up the next morning, crashed out on the floor in the common, the two girls whom he'd walked home still fast asleep on the sofa next to him, and his head was pounding. He was filled with dread, anger and disappointment as the memories of the previous night slowly started to slip back into place.

He and Lee had had a fight, for practically no reason at all; and that was the part that angered him the most. He was only trying to stop Lee making a big mistake. After all, he knew how it felt to lose someone you genuinely care about because you felt like getting off with someone else in the spur of the moment.

Even still, Lee was a lot drunker than he had been and he shouldn't have punched back. But he was, after all, a redhead, and they're renowned for their tempers.

As he stewed over his thoughts and begged the little man inside his head to stop smashing up his skull from the inside, out with a miniature hammer;he heard the two girls begin to stir.

"Morning," He said as loud as he dared, for fear of his head imploding, "how you two feeling?"

"Probably about as shit as you look," Ella groaned, she too cringing as she remembered the fight, "I can't believe it kicked off so much last night,"

"Me too," Angelina said groggily.

"Me three," A familiar voice from the boys' staircase pitched in.

"Lee?" Ella gasped, forgetting to mask her surprise.

She could practically feel Fred recoil and attempted to blend into the floor as best as he could. The tension could have been cut with a knife.

"Fred mate, do you wanna talk in private?" Lee prompted, noticing his friend's painfully shit attempt at hiding.

"Er.. ." Fred nodded, slightly taken aback. Sharing a worried look with his girlfriend, Fred got up, ignoring the little man still pounding away in his head. "Kitchens?"

Lee let out a low chuckle, "Sounds good," and with that the two boys took themselves off.

The two girls exchanged a disbelieving look.

"Really? Just like that?" Angelina scoffed.

"Oh how lovely it would be to be a boy sometimes. Everything's so black and white with them," Ella laughed.

"Tell me about it, it would all be so easy," Ange agreed.

"Talking of that, what do we do about Katie?" Ella grimaced, picking away at the freying edge of the blanket George had laid over them on his way to bed the previous night.

They sat and thought in silence, deliberating over what in Merlin's name they were to do. On the one hand, they didn't want to hurt their friend or get involved in her relationship. But on the other, she was their best friend and they couldn't keep something like this from her. They didn't have to give their opinion on what happened with Lee and the blonde, but if she knew then at least Katie could have an opinion.

"I think we need to tell her," Angelina sighed, "Katie's our best friend and I'd want to know if it was me,"

"Tell me what?" Katie's face was a strange mixture of surprise, confusion and anger.

Shit. Angelina and Ella stuttered and stumbled as they tried to rectify the situation.

"Look, Katie, there's something you should know about last night," Angelina swung her legs around to make room for their friend on the sofa.

"About what..." Katie asked skeptically, not entirely sure she wanted to know.

Angelina shot Ella a look, begging her to help out with this whole situatuation.

"Well, the thing is Katie," Ella began, internally deliberation how best to break the news, giving a sweet, sympathetic smile, "Last night, when Fred and Lee fought. Well it was because Fred went over to pull Lee away from the blonde he was necking on with,"

She'd decided blunt and quick was best; just like ripping off a plaster.

Katie just smiled at her two friends, looking at them expectantly.

"what?" Angelina furrowed her brow in confusion. Why wasn't her friend crying and hurt; or even angry. Katie had a temper, so why wasn't she using it to kick the boy's sorry arse.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Ella asked in equal confusion, knowing that if it had been her in Katie's position she would have been distraught.

"Oh I heard you." Katie smiled. "Just like I heard Lee when he told me last night and this morning when he apologised," She shrugged, "Is that it?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Well yeah, but are you not worried about it?" Ella asked, trying to keep her supportive rather than judgemental.

"Worried? No. It made Lee finally pull his finger out and ask me to be his girlfriend. But was I pissed with him? Well, let's just say if it happens again, it will be anatomically impossible for him to do so a third time when I castrate him with a wooden spoon," She smiled at her friends in a psychotic way that wasn't dissimilar from Umbridge's.

"Awh, you two are a couple? I'm so happy for you Katie!" Angelina leaned into her friend and wrapped her in a tight, excited embrace.

"I'm confused," Ella stated plainly, causing her two to look at her weirdly.

"What do you mean?" Katie gave a chuckle, expecting a grilling about her relationship choices.

"Well...how would you castrate someone with a wooden spoon? And why wouldn't you just use magic?"

"Because, my sweet innocent friend," Katie sprawled herself out across both her friends, dominating the sofa, "It would take much longer so it would be much more painful and hopefully it would leave a nice fungal infection to riddle his genitals,"

"Ew."

The three girls took one look at one another and burst into fits of laughter, until tears were rolling down their cheeks.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

The girls had ended up missing breakfast after falling back to sleep and sleeping until noon.

At lunch, after the hangovers had worn off, disagreements had been once again agreed upon and grudges had been dropped; the group sat happily together at lunch, chatting animately about the night before.

"_Please_ tell me someone else saw George fall flat on his face on the dancefloor," Angelina cackled wickedly.

"I did not!" George protested indignantly. "I was tripped up,"

"Yeah, by your own two feet," She snorted in response, causing the rest of them to also laugh.

The laughing came to an abrupt stop as an unwelcome guest approached the table like a bad smell.

"I thought you lions were meant to give warm welcomes to people," A distinctive sneer snarled at their cold response.

"We welcome people, not snakes," Fred snarled to the younger Slytherin.

"Shame I wasn't talking to you," Draco bit back. "Potter, I need to word...in private,"

"And I need a professional manicure and weekend break to Barbados but you some things just aren't going to happen," Ella responded icily, causing her friends to snigger as Draco's smug smirk faltered and a icy glare replaced it.

"I'm not in the mood, Potter, we _need _to talk,"

"I told you; I want _nothing_ to do with you. Ever. Again." She spat at the blonde.

"For fuck sake." He grunted, roughly grabbing her by the forearm and dragging her out of her seat behind him until they'd left the Great Hall and found a quiet corridor.

Ella thrashed her arms about in an attempt to shake off the boy, but his grip was too tight. His face was brooding and stormy. She could swear the boy only had three expressions; grumpy, cocky and seductive.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing!" She yelled at him when he stopped them and pinned her up against the wall to inhibit her from taking off. "Who do you even think you are, you selfish, useless, arrogan-"

"If you shut the fuck up; I need to tell you something." He gave her a shake to shock her into subdued quiet.

Ella just raised her eyebrows as a command for him to hurry up and say whatever it was he wanted to desperately to say.

"I got a letter from my father this morning," He started, before hesitating.

"Oh, poor little Draco. Was Daddy not happy with his grades? Did Daddy give him a metaphorical slap across the wrists? Will he knock you about when you-"

"Shut up you stupid little girl." He snarled viciously.

"I think you're forgetting I'm older than you you git,"

"I couldn't care less, now shut up so I can go back to my lunch and you can get back to your sad little bunch of friends. Okay?"

Ella nodded.

"As I was trying to say; he's found out about you and me over Summer and my father is nothing if not a proud man. And if it wasn't bad enough that you're a hooker-"

"Ex-hooker"

"Don't care. You've slept with half of his friends, put one of them in Azkaban and used the Cruciatous Curse on the Dark Lord himself. He's furious and mortified to say the least,"

"And how does this affect me?" She shot at him. If it was a shoulder to cry on and reassurance he was looking for then he could sling his hook. That boat had set sail long ago that it was now on the return journey.

"He's blaming the whole thing on you being a manipulative whore and plans to get his revenge," He said sternly, his face a weird mixture of worry and panic. It appeared Ella was wrong; he did have more than three whole facial expressions. But it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Oh I'm terrified," Her face compressed into a thin like of unimpressed boredom.

"My father had _never_ made an empty threat." He began to get exasperated as she continued to look at him like he was just wasting her time.

"Great but I can look after myself, so if you'll just let me go now," She pushed him out of her way so she could get past.

"I don't think you're getting what I'm saying!" He yelled after her.

"Oh I do," She smiled falsely, "I just really couldn't give a crap,"

And with that she ended the conversation and rejoined her friends in the lunch hall, who had nearly all finished their lunches by the time she added another tuna mayonnaise sandwich onto her plate.

"What was all that about?" Angelina questioned at her best friend's irritated expression.

"Just silly attention seeking, that's all," She smiled to assure her friends, although they noted how it didn't quite reach her eyes. What they didn't know, was that despite her facade of nonchalance, a small part of her was worried about whether there was more to Draco's warnings to what she thought. What if he was right? What if his father was going to go out of his way to get to her?

That was when she cast a look around the lunch table as her friends carried on their boistrous chatter and laughter, and realised that it didn't matter if he was going to try to get her; he'd have to get past them first.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

It was late evening and the sun had set long ago. The mid-December nights getting continually darker and colder. The group of friends - Ella, Katie, Angelina, Lee and the twins - lounged around the common room, most of the house having vacated it not long ago, to either do homework or take advantage of the length of darkness and get an early night.

"Anyone fancy a game of exploding snap?" Katie asked merrily, pulling out a deck of cards.

Everyone agreed to playing, welcoming of the amusement of singed eyebrows and scolded knuckles. Surely enough, three rounds in George had lost an eyebrow and Katie's fringe had a patch missing and burned.

"I'm knackered," George stretched out, standing up from where they had been sat on the floor next to the fire, "I'm going to bed, night kids,"

"We're exactly the same age, you can't call me kid," Fred challenged his twin with a smirk, from where he was laid on the floor, Ella cuddled in his side with a protective arm around her.

"Actually, mon frère, I think you'll find I'm older by a whole 56 minutes," He gave a wicked smirk before bidding goodnight to the rest of them and ascending the boys' dormitory stairs.

"You know, I think I'm going to turn in as well," Lee said threw a yawn, also heading to the his dorm, Katie in tow.

"Looks like we're the last three standing...well, lying," Fred teased the girls.

"Actually, make that two; I'm shattered," Angelina laughed, winking at her best friend, "You two don't enjoy your privacy too much,"

Angelina cackled as she left the couple scoffing and protesting defiantly as she ascended the stairs up to her own dorm.

Ella and Fred lay together, chatting away playfully, mostly about the upcoming holiday.

"Just think," Fred purred in Ella's ear, running his finger lightly up and down her forearm, "Only one more week and we will be at home, with no work. It can be just you and me and that big double bed of yours all to ourselves,"

"Hmm," She moaned, leaning into him, "Sounds like heaven,"

"Well, you know," Fred quickly swiftly scanned the room to check they were alone, "I could give you a quick taster now, if you'd like," He winked at her devilishly.

"Well, Mr Weasely, "I must say, you drive quite a hard bargain but I think I could be persuaded,"

"Not as hard as it's about to get," He whispered, nibbling on her neck, his pun causing his girlfriend to throw her head back and laugh boisterously.

"You're such a freak," She laughed softly, running her fingers through his shaggy hair.

"But you love it," He teased, sucking on her neck, running his hands up and down her sides, tickling her playfully.

"You're not wrong there," She giggled, pushing him over, so she could straddle him, running a soft, gentle hand down his abdomen, letting linger at the waist of his trousers, kissing him passionately on the lip, his tongue doing wondrous things to her own.

"Well get ready for the time of your life Miss Potter," He growled, flipping them round so he had her pinned down beneath him and hoisted her legs up, causing her to laugh uncontrollably at his idiocy as he nibbled tantalising at her neck.

Their kissing and messing around came to an abrupt stop when they heard someone they heard the sound of footsteps come thundering down the girls' staircase and back up the boys' staircase.

"What the hell was that?" Fred laughed, before resuming his gentle fondling.

However, they were interrupted again within a couple of minutes, this time by the sound of two pairs of feet, followed by a panic stricken voice.

"Ella, quick! It's Harry..." Hermione's voice obliterated the playful atmosphere the room had previously held and replaced it with one of a tension that could be cut with a knife.

"What?" She started, shoving Fred from his position on top of her, "What is it? What's happened?"

"I think you better just come," Hermione's voice was grave.

Everything was happening so quickly yet was in slow motion at the same time. The blood was ponding in Ella's ear as everything became blury. What could have happened? It felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach, forcing every molecule of air out of her lungs, leaving her drowning without water, but from raw emotion, so intense that she felt as though she was going to implode.

She dashed up the stairs without leaving another second to spare; Fred right behind her.

She didn't need to be reminded of the direction of his room, she could hear the commotion from the stairs.

Dashing into the room, blind in panic, she felt hot acid from her stomach force its way up her throat as she fought the urge to vomit at the terrifying sight of her brother tossing, writhing and calling out in his bed.

"No." He panted desperately. "NO!"

He was shaking like she'd never seen before.

"Harry?" She shook him desperately. "HARRY!" She yelled more assertively, shaking him rougher, causing him to wake from his fit-like state.

"W-What?" He stuttered, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead illuminated by the dim flickering candlelight.

"What is it? What's happened?" She pleaded him to open up to her. He just open and closed his mouth as though he was about to be sick himself. "We should go to Dumbledore," She told him rather than asked, but he agreed all the same, rising from his sweat drenched bed, wrapping himself in his night cloak.

Before reaching the headmaster's, however, the group of five ran into their head of house first, who'd been on her way to find the source of the commotion that had awoken and upset a timid first year that had run to her for comfort.

"Miss Potter, will you please explain what in Merlin's name is going on?" She sounded less annoyed than worried.

"We need to Professor Dumbledore, Professor," Her voice was shaky, as were her hands as she rung the ends of her night gown in stress.

"Oh really?" The professor's brow crumpled in confusion. "Regarding what?"

"I honestly couldn't even tell you, Professor, but it's important. Please, it_ must_ be now."

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella paced up and down outside of the headmaster's office. Harry had been in there for ages and they still hadn't heard a thing.

"Ella will you sit down; you're going to make yourself ill," Fred tried to comfort her but failed to do so. She was too worried for her brother. He was her only blood relative left (she didn't count the Durseleys, she'd never met them and never intended to) and she could not lose him.

She ignored him and carried on to pace until the door cracked open and the slender silhouette of their house-mistress, outlined by the flickering candles, slipped out still in her own nightgown.

"You two best go to bed, it looks like it's going to be a long night for your brother," She tried to say as calmly as possible, but Ella detected the worry and uncertainty in her voice, a voice that was normally so confident and assured.

"Is he going to be alright professor?" She questioned, not even attempting to mask the desperation in her voice, knowing it would be futile.

"He is, my dear," She gave her student a warm smile, "but he needs to do a lot of work, which must be started straight away," She tried to explain as best she could, her voice more grave again.

"But what do you mean, professor?" Fred spoke up for the first time in the encounter.

"I'm sure it will all be explained to you once it has been explained to myself, but for now that is all I know,"

"Okay," Ella sighed, leaning into Fred for much needed support, all of a sudden feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her like a powerful tidal wave, "Good night professor," She went to bid her farewell, before the pair were stopped.

"Wait one minute, there's something else," She said, all four students cringing in fear as they registered the physical paling of their usually so stern and composed teacher, "There's been an incident," She paused.

"Incident, Professor?" Fred questioned.

Ella felt her heart rate once again begin to race frantically. It certainly wasn't going to be good. It was really quite remarkable actually, just how many worst case scenarios could flash through her mind within that short two second long pause.

"Yes, an incident in the ministry." It was now Fred's turn to pale; two members of his family worked for the ministry. "You see, as far as I am aware, Harry has had some sort of...vision, and in this vision he witnessed attack,"

"On who?" Ron asked before she even had chance to take a breath.

They all held their breath in anticipation, every millisecond feeling like an hour. They knew it had to be someone close; she couldn't look them in the eye.

"I'm afraid it was your father, Mr Weasely, being attacked in the vision," She sighed, not being able to imagine the pain her students were feeling at that moment.

"But is it true?" Fred asked almost angrily.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," The professor's shoulders slumped further, hating the knowledge that there was nothing she could do for her hurting students, "Professor Dumbledore sent word to the ministry and your father was found in a critical state. He's now been taken to St Mungos, where he's recieving the best treatment available. Go to bed and try to get some rest. In the morning we'll inform the rest of your siblings then you can all pack your things and go home for Christmas early; including you Ella,"

Ron went to kick off, but Fred placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him from doing so.

"Thank you Professer," he nodded politely, "good night."

On the way back to the Gryffindor tower nobody talked. The two younger students walked ahead. Just as they were about to take another turn up a staircase, Ella spoke softly.

"How are you feeling?" She asked timidly, not wanting to upset him further but desperate to show her willing support of him.

He just shook his head, "Stay with me tonight?" Ella nodded.

"Come with me," She took his hand nurturingly and guided him down a different corridor, in the opposite direction to their dorm. He had no idea where they were going but he didn't care. He was too exhausted and bewildered to question it.

Soon enough, he knew exactly where they were going, when they walked along a very familiar corridor on the seventh floor. Sure enough, a large, grand door appeared in front of them, seemingly from no where.

When he stepped inside, he didn't think he'd ever loved his girlfriend more than he did at that moment. She knew just the right things to do to help.

The room, in contrast to its form when it was used for their DADA meetings, was small and cosy, with a plush red carpet, a lit fireplace crackling sombrely as the warm embers heated the room modestly and a large, mahogany double bed right next to it, draped with a deep red and gold trimmed thick douvet, perfect for the middle of winter.

"Thought we could do with a bit more privacy," She squeezed his hand gently, encouraging him to open up to her.

He nodded his thanks, not quite feeling up to talking yet, as he began to undress down to his boxers for bed, handing Ella his large shirt for her to sleep in.

She looked at him, her eyes brimming with sorrow and empathy. She hated how little she could do to lessen his metaphysical pain, but she knew the best she could do was be there and allow him to get things off of his chest.

Tearing her pensive gaze of his muscle ripped back, Ella began to undress herself and slipped his large shirt on over her naked form, only half bothering to button up his shirt.

"I'm sure you're dad will be fine," She said folding their clothes into two seperate neat piles as Fred sat on the side of the bed, head in hands.

"You don't know that!" He snapped suddenly at her, leaping up from where he'd been sat. "Don't things like that so definitely when you JUST DON'T KNOW!" He yelled, tears brimming in his eyes.

Ella had never seen him like this and it disturbed her. It was the anger that disturbed her, however, it was him crying. Fred never cried, not even when their daughter died. Not in front of her anyway. Seeing him like this, in such a distraught state, broke her heart.

"Oh Fred," She sighed, crawling over and taking a gentle hold of his hand, guiding him back down to the bed, "It's alright, I'm here," She cradled his head in her bosom as he cried softly out of fear for his father. "I'll always be here."

**A/N: 14 exams down, 9 to go; the end is in sight! And you know what that means...more frequent updates (yayyy). Thank you to those who reviewed last time, they were very nice and helpful, and I've decided to take on the advice of the suggestion of seeing if anyone is willing to Beta for me, as I'm aware how bad some of my careless gramatical and spelling mistakes are and how annoying they must be to read. Once again, I'm not going to update until I've got at least 3 reviews so you know what to do ;)**

**XOXO - C**


	56. Take a Step into no mans land

"Fred," Ella awoke her boyfriend gently shaking him early the next morning, the heat from the fire's embers still acting like a blanket upon the room.

Fred stirred easily as neither of them had been able to slip into a deep sleep after the bad news of the previous night.

"How did you sleep?" She asked him kindly, reassuringly caressing his upper arm in support. She couldn't imagine his pain, she had never had a father in her memory, she couldn't know how bad it felt to hear of such an awful thing happening to them.

"Shit, you?" He gave a bitter laugh that was more painful for Ella to hear than his crying last night. When Fred laughed it was always so joyful and boistrous, it would fill a room, but now it was hollow and empty. It was not his usual infectious laugh but a soured one.

"Pretty much the same," She shrugged, allowing a sorrowful silence to ensue before breaking it again, "We best get up, it's not fair to leave telling the others to Ron,"

He knew she was right, but he would have given anything to just spend one more day in the bed, burrying his head in the sand and pretending nothing had happened. He would have given anything to go back to the carefree ambiance of the previous day, where nothing mattered to him but that moment. But he knew she was right. Along with his twin, he was the oldest sibling still attending Hogwarts, so it was time to act it.

"Okay," He nodded, getting out of bed and redressing in his uniform from the previous night, taking his severely crumpled shirt back from Ella and not bothering to put on his tie, instead stuffing it in his pocket.

The walk back to the common room was tense and silent, hating the impending pain he was about to bring on George and Ginny, but it was all made better by the small hand entwined supportively in his.

"I'll go get Ginny, and we'll meet you and George down here, at which point you can take them somewhere a bit more private, okay?" Ella told her boyfriend who merely nodded back. Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached up to place a chaste kiss on his cheek before ascending the girls' dormitory stairs.

By the time she returned to the common room with the youngest Weasely in tow, the twins were waiting for the them, George's face riddled with confusion and curiosity.

"Thanks," Fred gave Ella quick peck, "for everything," He whispered before departing.

Ella was just about to go back to her room when she spotted her brother in the corner of the common room, immersed in the book she'd got him for last out one of the pub-style cushioned wooden chairs, she joined him at the table.

"Hey," She smiled, "how was Ron this morning?"

"Not sure," He closed his book, glad for the distraction from the inner turmoil of his own mind, "He took himself off for a walk at first light and he hasn't been back since,"

"I'm sure he'll be fine, it's probably doing him good to get some space," She placed a reassuring hand on his, "Fred's just telling the others now, how about we go and pack their cases for them so when they can go back we can all get straight home and they can get off to the hospital?"

"Good idea, I'll get 'Mione to do Ginny's. I'll do Ron's, so you alright packing for the twins?"

"Absolutely,"

She smiled as brightly as she could to bring as much cheer as possible, because God only knows it was sorely needed. With the boisterous jolly of the twins' absent and the general good cheer of their friend ship group lacking, the Gryffindor common felt dead and lifeless.

Swiftly, she went up to the room she knew so well and packed everything to the boys could possibly need for a three week break in the middle of winter, finishing off by placing a charm on their cases to make them feather light.

Folding up Fred's shirts, she clutched one to her nose, embracing his musky smell that she'd grown so fond of, reflecting on when the smell was still so new and exciting. As she was looking through their draws for a final time to check she hadn't forgotten anything important, she found a small stack of photos, both muggle and magical, loosely bound together in a worn elastic band.

Every photo was of the two of them, her particular favourite being of the two of them sitting together by the Black Lake on a sunny day last year, when Ella was quite heavily pregnant, the two of them apparently finding something hilarious as the magical photo kept replaying them sharing a look before bursting into fits of laughter. That's why she loved that photo, there was no posing, no forced smiles, it was just natural and raw and it summed up their relationship perfectly and for the first time she truly appreciated all that her relationship with Fred meant to her. It wasn't just about the sex and caring for one another, but they were each other's best friend and that's what made them so inseparable.

~~~~~~~C~~~~~~~

When the group of teenagers arrived at Grimmauld Place, Sirius and Remus were waiting in the kitchen for them and Kreature took their trunks to their rooms, begrudgingly.

"I must apologise for my grouchy excuse of a house-elf, he's not the most sensitive creature," Sirius tried to lighten the mood of the group but no one other than Hermione and Harry gave so much as a pity laugh. Ella was squirming awkwardly by Fred's side, begging the ground to swallow her up and the Weaselys were less than in the mood for light hearted jokes, whilst Fred glared at the older man venomously. He'd thought at the time that it wouldn't bother him to see the man again, afterall according to Ella, he'd been just as intoxicated as she had. But now he was here, the worry induced irritability not helping, it was all he could to not swing for the man. He felt physically ill at the thought of his hands all over his girlfriend.

Picking up on the tension in the room, Remus stepped in like a pro mediator.

"I reckon we should all head straight for the hospital. How does that sound?"

"That sounds brilliant, thank you Remus," Ginny gave her best smile she could muster out of politeness.

"Actually, Ella and I were thinking we'd stay here today and give you all some time with your dad," Harry offered.

"And that way we can have dinner ready on the table for you when you get home, if you send us a message about half an hour before you set off, eh?" Ella added.

"That sounds wonderful, thanks," Fred thanked them both, kissing his girlfriend's temple, not knowing how any of them would have gotten through it all without her by his side.

By the time the Weasleys had arrived back home, with Mrs weasely in tow this time, chicken casserole dinner was waiting on the long table in kitchen of Grimauld Place. Ella couldn't help but grimace as she remembered her last encounter at, or rather on, this table. It was clear Sirius had no idea what to say to her. But then again, neither did she so both said nothing. The majority of the people sat around the table had no idea of the aforementioned encounter but everyone felt the suffocating tension that smothered the room. Luckily for Ella and Sirius, no one was much in the mood for talking so their particular silence went largely unnoticed.

Once dinner was over, Mrs Weasley swiftly cleared the table without using magic in order to prolong the mundane task and therefore prolong the blissful distraction from the image of her husband's mangled sheet white face in the St Mungo's bed, chattering nervously the whole tome.

"Come on kids, I think it's time you all got to bed." She commanded as though they were still five years old. They all obliged without the slightest grumble despite the fact it was only half nine as not only were they actually quite tired from the emotionally exhausting past 24 hours, but they knew how stressed their mum got when she felt completely out of control and if they could do anything to feel even slightly more in control; they would.

Fred was bring up the rear of the group on the stairs when he heard his name get called by the last voice he'd have expected. He turned without even dignifying a reply.

"Fred mate," Sirius said again as he reached the same step, "I just wanted to apologise for -"

"Don't push it," Fred snarled. He was upset, tired and in absolutely no mood be forgiving.

"Look, mate I never-" Sirius began again but was this time interrupted by Ella calling from the top of the stairs.

"Fred, you coming?" She peered round the banister, trying to seem as undeliberate as possible in her attempt to stop what would have been a very suspicious conflict indeed. "You're sharing with me tonight, no arguments," she instructed in an almost motherly manner.

With a glare at the older man, Fred followed his girlfriend to her bedroom.

"Night Sirius," she called down the stairs, not wanting to be unpleasant.

"Night," his reply was quiet and defeated. He couldn't believe how royally he'd fucked things up. She was his best friend's daughter for Christ sake. It made him feel sick. He had bought her her first broom; done his best to make her first word a curse word and had had his heart melted by her when she had laughed for one of the first times when he'd stubbed his toe. What he had done was sick and he hated himself for it.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Meanwhile, up in Ella's room, the couple were getting dressed for bed. It pained Ella to see her normally so upbeat and cheerful boyfriend so sad and down trodden.

"How was he?" She asked, not even having to say who she was referring to for Fred to know, as began rubbing his back soothingly.

"It wasn't pretty," Fred sighed, refusing to look at his girlfriend, which would confirm to her just how close he was to crumbling. That was all he said, but Ella didn't mind. At least he was talking, that was the main thing.

"But he's getting better?" She prompted a bit of positivity, without which could leave you wallowing in an dark, bleak obelisk in situations like these.

"Yeah, the doctors think he's going to make a full recovery and he should be home by Christmas," Ella felt him physically relax under her gentle touch as saying the words finally made him believe there might be hope.

"That's really brilliant news!" she couldn't have been more genuine in the smile the broke free across her face.

"Yeah," Fred smiled back for the first time in what felt like years, "yeah, I guess it is." Now he'd started grinning he couldn't stop. He felt foolish and selfish, after all is father wasn't alright yet. But he was going to be and when Ella smiled it was infectious. He would be willing to place a bet on the fact it could make a room full of death eaters smile also. "How would you fancy coming to the hospital to see dad tomorrow?" Fred looked hopefully at her.

"Of course I will," she reassured him, shaking her head at the absurdity of the thought of her refusing to go and visit Mr Weasley. He'd been the first to welcome her into the family when she was expecting. She was really very fond of the man. "I think I might pop into muggle London and buy him a present in the morning and then meet you at the hospital in the afternoon. You know how he loves everything muggle,"

"He'd love that," Fred replied, "I'll go with you,"

"Absolutely you will not," she scolded him light heartedly, "your family needs you to be with them and that's exactly where you're going to be,"

"But-" he began to protest but Ella just pressed a slender finger to his lips to silence him.

"I'll survive. I promise," she added before pressing her lips softly to his and snuggling down close into his chest as Fred wrapped his arms around her protectively.

Ella loved being able to be his rock for once. Ever since she'd met him she felt like she was constantly forced to play the victim and for once, just once, she got to return the favour.

~~~~~C~~~~~

Ella had awoken early the next morning and in her brightened spirits she'd decided to go downstairs and cooks a full cooked breakfast for everyone once she's decided she was unable to get back to sleep.

"Morning," she'd called brightly to Remus, who'd been the first one up.

"This is a bit surreal," he commented with a chuckle as he opened the copy of the daily prophet that hedwig had already dropped off this morning.

Next up had been Ginny and Hermione, followed by Mrs Weasely, then George and then finally Fred.

"I woke up wondering where the hell you'd gone," he said quietly as she leaned over him dishing out his fried eggs.

"Just thought you'd all do well starting the day off on a proper meal," she beamed as she returned this time with the bacon pan.

"I'd never really pictures you in the motherly role but it quite suits you," Harry commented from across the table.

"Just like to do my bit to help,"

"When did you become a morning person?" Remus mused as he flicked through his paper, scanning the head lines.

"I'm still not, but angelina's crazy quidditch training schedule has forced me to be a bit more tolerant of them," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Since when have you played quidditch?" Sirius' voice came from the kitchen door as he'd entered. To everyone other than Harry, the twins (Fred of course having told George) , Remus and Ella, this was a perfectly normally question, but those who knew all tensed at the obviously accidental exchange between the pair.

"I joined the team earlier this term," her face had turned a colour not dissimilar from the tomatoes she'd been cooking that morning, not being quite able to bring herself to make eye contact with him, "did I not tell you?"

"No, it must have slipped your mind," Sirius rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Your father would be very proud having both of his children on the quidditch team," Remus tried to break the awkwardness but the way in which Sirius didn't know what to do; where to go; what to say. Hindered in his attempts, Ella took the lead.

"Would you like breakfast?" She offered, waving her wand, causing a plate and cutlery to land in an empty seat.

"Yes thank you, it smells delicious," he thanked her, making sure his gratitude was known, not only for her food but for her kind empathy and forgiveness also.

"You're very welcome," She plastered on her best smile possible. She hated that she had to force a smile to Sirius. She wasn't mad at him; he hadn't done anything wrong. All she wanted to avoid was upsetting Fred further when he already had so much going on. So instead, she changed the subject, "So what have you all got planned for today?" She asked openly.

"I'm taking the boys and Ginny to go and see Arthur again, after we've finished here. Would either of you two like to come?" Mrs Weasley asked Harry and Ella with the strongest voice she could muster and Ella really commended her strength. It must be awful to be hurting so much but not being allowed to let it show for the sake of your kids. But then, that's just part of being a mother really, and once again, Ella felt the pang of loss of her own child that she never got the chance to shield from such pain.

"I've got a few errands to run first but I'll meet you there after," Ella replied as she handed Sirius his regular morning cup of coffee.

"That sounds good to me," Harry offered a supportive smile to the woman he'd come to know as a second mother. He'd do anything he could to help Ron right now and by the look of hope that flashed across Ron's face when he gave his answer, he would be helping.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Muggle London was absolutely packed full of last minute Christmas shoppers, diving from shop to shop, ducking a swerving to avoid one another. Every road was gridlocked and underground was heaving. It took Ella over an hour just to get from diagon Alley to Camden, where she thought she might pick up something that would capture Mr Weasley's interest, in the hope that his passion for all things muggle would spur on his recovery.

The dynamic back home was surprisingly different without him, not only because of the pain of the rest of the Weasley family, but everything felt less light-hearted and cheerful. It felt quieter.

Ella was five shops into her search and she still hadn't found anything suitable. Times were moving on and even Mr Weasley was getting to grips with some technology but she wanted to make sure it wasn't boring and he'd seen plenty before, but neither could it be too advanced.

Eventually, she settled on an old, antique type writer, which hadn't been cheap but it was worth every penny. It was a beautiful old machine and uncommon enough that it would still hold a unique attraction for the muggle-obsessed man.

It was nearing three o'clock in the afternoon when she embarked on the slog of a walk back to the underground station, now carrying a dead weight in the large wooden box, which would have earned her a few strange looks had Christmas not been in such close proximity.

As she turned the final corner before the station, a strong force pulled her out of the crowd and into the closest back alley. Before she even had chance to comprehend what was going on or see who was the cause, a steel like hand clamped down over her mouth as she let out a scream she wasn't even aware she let out. She looked around desperately, only to see her type writer in a heap of broken metallic parts on the floor at the entrance of the alley she was now in. She struggled desperately. This could not be happening. But it was and it was all too real.

"Shut up you stupid girl," A strangely familiar voice hissed in her ear, but she couldn't place it for the life of her.

Before she got chance to put a face to the voice, she was being sucked into a tight, dark obis. The moment she felt her feet land back on solid ground, her whole body was slammed forcefully into the hard marble floor.

Above her, a tall figure with long, slick platinum blonde hair loomed.

"Miss Potter," The voice drawled thick with disgust. It was a drawl she could not fail to recognise. It was a Malfoy drawl, only the voice did not belong to the boy she'd spend so long with over the summer. No, this had to be the voice of Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.

"What _are_ you doing?" Ella hissed, more pissed off than scared now she knew her attacker. She had never done anything to warrant this treatment of her.

That was when she remembered Draco's warning.

_'he plans to get revenge'  
'he never makes an empty threat'_

She hadn't taken Draco's warnings seriously. After all, why in Merlin's name should she have trusted a single word he said again. But now she was here at the feet of this angry and potentially dangerous man and was starting to realise that, for once, Draco had been telling the truth.

She'd barely got the words out of her mouth when she felt a searing pain in her left cheek as his cane struck her harshly, causing the insides of her mouth to poor with blood.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she pushed herself up off the floor and tried her best to level herself with him, despite their height differences, to show she wasn't afraid. He couldn't break her. She wouldn't let him; she'd come too far.

"You'll do well to remember your manners," He snarled threateningly.

"You'll do well to fuck off and let me go," She snapped, raising her hand to strike him back, but in one fluid movement, he caught it effortlessly and spun her around, twisting her arm painfully behind her back.

"Just shut up you stupid slut," He hissed so close to her ear that his spit trickled down the back of it.

As she was frogmarched down the cold, lifeless hallway, she realised where she was.

She was in the Malfoy Manner. She recognised it from Draco's descriptions. And if her inclination was right, she was headed down to the cellars.

**A/N: So so so sorry it's been so long since my last update. Since the end of my exams I've been touring round South East Asia and it was AMAZING! I've also got some exciting news; I got a contract and I am currently working on my first book, eeeeek! Please bare with my terrible updating habits, I promise to try and make more of an effort from now on. All feedback is greatly appreciated, happy reading,**

**XOXO - C**


	57. Break a Story of Peace and Love

She knew where she was. She was in Malfoy manner and if she guessed right, she was headed down to the cellars.

"Get off me!" She struggled painfully in the cruel, vice-like grip of the silvered haired man, but he did not cry. He was silent, not speaking a single word to her.

Sure enough, her suspicions had been right and after being frogmarched forcefully through winding mazes of dark, elaborately and intricately decorated halls and passages, that were paved in gleaming green tiles, Ella felt Lucius' harsh hold on her arm constrict further, like a boa killing its prey, as they came to a flight of stairs leading down to an obis of darkness.

"Arsehole," She hissed venomously, unable to keep the mounting fear and desperation out of her voice as, in one last attempt, she wrenched her incarcerated arm from its trap and struck the older man clean across his pale cheek, leaving his porcelain complexion blood-streaked and sore.

"You'll regret that," Lucius Malfoy hissed as he threw the girl to the floor, slamming the door shut with a metallic slam behind him as he stalked out.

The cellar was dark and damp, with a musty smell hanging in the air like a toxic gas, making Ella feel dizzy. There were no windows or light, no indication of the time of day. She could have been down there for half an hour, or five hours. She did not know. She had no way of knowing. She could have tried to find the door, or another way out, but it would have been hopeless. She couldn't see a thing. Fear had long since paralysed her, making her prisoner not only of the Malfoys' cellar, but also her own body.

She didn't know how long she was trapped down there before the door at the bottom of the steel stairway that led into her personal prison opened.

A dark silhouette of a tall, board shouldered man - broader than Lucuis - loomed menacingly. At first, her heart leaped. _Fred_, she thought, _it's fred. He'd come to save her_. But her hope was short lived when the silhouette opened his mouth to speak.

"Long time, no see,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Fred was sat beside his father, who was now conscious and sat up, sipping frailly on some soup his wife had made him, knowing it was his favourite, in a hope to try to get him to eat something.

"Ella's gone to muggle London to get you a present," Fred told his father warmly, "It was all her idea,"

Mr Weasley smiled. He thought Ella Potter was a very good match for his son and hoped they wouldn't break-up again. It had crushed Molly and him to see their normally rambunctious son so down. Yes, he would certainly feel very lucky if Ella Potter was to be his daughter in law. But then again, he was getting a bit ahead of himself. "That's very kind of her," he told his son, "I'll make sure I thank her. She really is a very sweet young lady,"

Fred smiled in response, glancing at his watch as he did so. It was nearly three o'clock and Ella had said she'd be there by lunch. This worried him, as Ella was always one to keep her word. He shook his head, he knew there would most likely be a simple explanation like London was very busy or it took her a while to find _just_ the right present. Yes, he was sure she would be fine, she was a tough cookie after all, but he couldn't stop a small part of him worrying.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Long time, no see,"

Ella froze, her mouth dry and unable to function. Her heart thudded so painfully in her chest she was sure it would self-destruct.

She recognised the voice instantly. She would recognise it anywhere.

"Lost for words, I see," The voice snarled as it neared her, "My, my, I _am_ flattered. But I hear you've been a bit naughty, getting a bit too big for your boots," It continued it's advance.

She scrambled backwards, until the cold hard concrete wall pressed itself up against her back. She was cornered, trapped.

"I tell you what," The voice still went on, "I was lost for words too. Yes, I wasn't expecting it at all when you gave away our little secret that day in court. I thought you were more clever than that. After all, everyone has always thought me a bit sketchy. You, on the other hand, went from being a little princess, to a good for nothing slut in a matter of minutes," Ella didn't need to see his face to know he was smirking.

"Fuck you Karkaroff," She finally managed to spit out.

"Oh, she does still have a voice," Karkaroff cooed, "I guess I heard right; you have lost your manners. Oh, and what a shame, you used to be so...compliant," He said with an edge to his voice that sent a shock of fear and hatred through her spine. "Well, we'll see," He said as he closed the final distance between them.

Lunging downwards, he dragged her to her feet by her neck.

"Eh, how about we go back to how it used to be," He hissed in her face, causing her nostrils to burn with the stench of his breath.

"Get off me," She choked out, coughing and gagging as Igor's grip on her neck tightened savagely.

"Where are your manners?" He hissed. "Say please." He demanded.

She could and would not. This man did not deserve any airs or graces from her. He did not her civility.

"I plan to re-enact that night on the ship, the first time you disobeyed me, except this time no one will come storming to your rescue," He hissed in her ear, his vile words causing a wave of nauseating fear to hit her like a tsunami.

She desperately swung her hand to slap him, but it was no good. Her lack of breath meaning there was no power behind her swing, allowing Igor to catch it easily with one hand, the other remaining wrapped around her neck, and pinning her back to the wall.

"You're going to be mine whether you like it or not,"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Harry pulled down the lever of the cold water tap of the water dispenser in the waiting room of St Mungos. He gulped down the icy water, feeling it slip down his dry throat. His sister was meant to be here over four hours ago. Where the hell had she gotten to.

Just as his negative thoughts began to consume him, Fred Weasley came out of his father's private room, hugging his younger sister as she went in to take her turn to see her father.

"Fred," He called the older boy over,"Have you heard from Ella?"

He could instantly see he hadn't been the only one worrying over his sister.

"No," Fred shook his head glumly as the pair took two vacant seats next to the rest of the Weasley's in the waiting room, "I was hoping you might have,"

Alarm and concern riddled Harry's young face.

"I'm sure she's fine," Ron said, picking up on his friend's anxiety.

"You don't understand," Harry pulled at his hair, "She always sends a message if she's going to be late. It isn't like her to just not turn up somewhere,"

"I still think you're worrying about nothing," Ron tried to sound helpful, but came off more as insensitive and ignorant.

"I agree with Harry," Fred chipped in, "If we don't hear anything by five, I'm going to look for her,"

"You are not wondering round muggle London on your own, Fred Weasley," Mrs Weasley forbade her son from doing any such thing, "If she's not home when we get home, we'll ring the muggle police and let the Order know and _they'll_ look for her,"

"Okay," Both boys agreed this was perhaps a more rational compromise.

~~~~~~C~~~~~

Ella shook violently on the floor, her shirt torn and skirt no longer covering her, as her former head master stood over her, fastening his trousers with a vile, twisted smile.

"This is your fault," He bent down and whispered in her ear, "You should have remembered your manners,"

He cast on final look over the broken girl laid helplessly on the floor, a wave of triumph passing over him, before leaving with a spring in his step.

The second the heavy, metal door clicked closed behind the vile rapist, Ella curled her legs up into her chest, so she was laid in the feotal position, and let out her first sob. Soon her tears and heavy pants took over and wracked her whole aching body.

She was in pain yet numb at the same time. She couldn't muster the strength to move, neither physical nor mental. She felt drained. Broken. This was it, she thought, this was where she was going to die and she was unsure whether she even cared. Then a thought too horrific to fully comprehend crept into her mind; what if _he_ came back. What if she didn't die, but instead just became his play thing.

The thought made her feel nauseous. Oh no, it was more than just nausea.

She shakily lifted her head from the ground as she coughed and retched up the entire contents of her stomach, which was already very little as she hadn't had chance to eat since early that morning.

Long after she emptied her stomach, she continued to dry heave and retch, unable to stop. Her throat hurt. Her neck hurt where Igor had nearly strangled her. Everywhere hurt. But nothing hurt more than her pride. She was so embarrassed. She'd _let_ this happen to her. Maybe if she'd fought harder, struggled for longer, she might have stopped him. But she hadn't. She'd barely even tried to get him off her. She was disgusted in herself.

And then she thought of Fred and she had to suppress the urge to start retching once again. How could she ever look at him again.

Igor was right. She was a nothing but a slut. Maybe that's why she didn't fight hard enough, because on some subconscious level, she wanted this.

Fred was too good for her. He always had been but she'd not seen it properly until now. It'd be a blessing in disguise to him if she _did_ die down there. He could move on and be happy.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Sirius!" Harry ran through the kitchen of Grimauld Place the second he was back from the hospital. "Sirius!" He called again.

"What? What is it?" Sirius came running down the stairs at the sound of his God son's panic stricken voice.

"Ella," Harry panted, "Is she home?"

Sirius' brow furrowed, unsure of what could be the matter. "Not that I'm aware of,"

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." He cursed.

"What's up? I thought she was with you lot at the hospital?"

"No, she never turned up," Harry turned back to the kitchen, Sirius in tow, "Where's Remus? He'll know how to get in touch with the whole order won't he?"

"He'll be here any minute, in the meantime, I'll get in touch with Dumbledore and you try not to worry," Sirius shared Harry's worry, after all, despite the awkwardness since they'd slept together, he cared very deeply for his late best friend's daughter and would hate to see anything happen to her, but, unlike his Godson, he'd already lived through one wizarding war and knew it was always best to stay as calm as possible when something goes wrong.

By the time Harry had reentered the kitchen, everyone had flooed back and was stood around, awaiting the verdict.

"She's not here," Harry rubbed his forehead in distress, "Sirius is getting Dumbledore. Hermione, would you be able to call the muggle police?"

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

She didn't how long she'd been lying there motionless, but she knew it was too long. She wanted to get out these awful, contaminated clothes. She felt dirty and disgusting and never longed for a shower more in her life.

By the time the door creaked open once again, she'd covered herself up as best she could with her ripped clothes and propped her weary, broken body up against the wall.

When she heard the door open, she felt the roller coaster of fear and nausea race through her once again. Her arms shaking under her weight, she tried to shuffle further into the corner, in the misguided hope to disguise herself from her visitor. However, she couldn't help a wave of relief was over her when she noticed the silhouette was much slimmer and leaner than that of her attacker.

"Ella?" A hushed voice called out. A voice she'd never thought she'd be relieved to hear again. "Ella? Are you still in here?"

She didn't answer, but her heavy jagged breath gave her away.

"Ella," He hurried quietly over to the corner from which the noise came from, "I heard them talking about you upstairs. I warned you about my father, _why_ didn't you listen?" as he went to help her up.

"Get off me," she hissed, throwing her body away from his, unable to bare any physical contact.

"Ella, please, I want to get you out of here. Don't think they won't come down again. You _need_ to get out _now_. I came as soon as I could, _please_," Ella had never thought such vulnerability could come from Draco Malfoy, but then again, the extent of his father's vile and vicious nature had probably never before been bared to someone so plainly.

"Okay," Her voice shook as she spoke, not snapping out her distant gaze.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Draco spoke softly as he wrapped an arm up hers, his insides twisting as he noticed how she violently flinched at his touch, and lifted her to her feet, holding her steady until she found her balance, "that's it," He encouraged, "are you okay to walk?"

She nodded. Slowly they climbed the stairs, ducking into the candle cast shadows of the looming halls. Deep voices and sniggering could be heard from the end of the hall, where open mahogany double doors revealed an extravagant drawing room.

Quietly and quickly, they sneaked out a door, the house passing in a blur of marble floors and dark, flickering candle lit halls. "My father has an apparation block on the mannor, are you okay to walk out? It's a long one?" Ella shook her head.

"I...I can't apparate," She whispered, "not yet," she knew she wouldn't withstand it. Her insides were already tight and her legs like jelly. Not only that, but the last time she apparated was when Lucius brought her to this vile place. She couldn't, not yet.

"That's fine," He whispered back calmly, "I'm going to take you to the father's study, the fireplace in there is connected to the floo network," This time she nodded, "but we've got to be quick. If he catches us we're both screwed, okay? Quiet and quickly," She nodded once again.

The study was as cold and intimidating as Lucius himself. It was ostentatiously decorated with ornately carved black wood furniture and marble from floor to ceiling, even the fireplace was framed by two marble columns.

Ella took a handful of floo powder from the platinum carved pot Draco offered to her, and stepped into the fireplace. "Thank you," She said timidly, for fear of her voice breaking and her emotions all flooding out there and then. Draco just nodded to her, before she breathed the words "Grimauld Place."

~~~~~~C~~~~~

The kitchen was empty when she arrived back to her home. Quickly, Ella took advantage of her solitude and dashed through the kitchen and up the stairs. Halfway up the second flight of stairs she heard a door below open and someone step into the front hall.

"Was that Ella?" She heard Harry say.

Hearing the voice of someone she loved made her just run quicker. She couldn't face anyone, not yet.

The second she got in her room, she slammed the door shut behind her and collapsed on her bed, not even having the energy to undress or cry. She wanted to get these clothes more than anything else, but she couldn't move. Her body ached all over. She just wanted to slip into a coma for ten years. Unfortunately for her, her boyfriend had other plans, as she discovered when there was a knock at the door.

"Ella, you in there?"

She didn't reply.

"Ella?" He knocked again, his concern growing. He had been sure he'd seen her come in. "Ella, I'm going to come in," He called, his concern for her welfare over ruling his concern for her personal space.

His mouth went dry as he saw his girl friend's limp body covered in ripped, savaged clothes.

"Ella," He spoke softly sitting on the edge of the bed. He felt a sharp pang in his chest as he couldn't fail to notice how she flinched away from him. Dread filled him as a horrible crossed his mind. "Elle, please speak to me," He urged gently, terrified by the glassy look in her eyes. It was like she wasn't there, like she was slipping away from him and he couldn't face losing her again.

"Leave me alone," Her face didn't move but her voice shook violently.

"Ella," He tried to be a bit more authoritative, if only to gain a reaction from her. "Talk to me."

"I said; Leave. Me. Alone," This time the shaking in her voice sounded, low and dangerous.

"I want to help," He placed his hand on her bruised thigh.

She leaped up suddenly, violently jerking away from his gentle touch.

"Don't _touch_ me," It wasn't just her voice that shook now, her whole body shook with fear, rage and exhaustion.

"Ella, don't," He repeated her name again, "Please don't shut me out,"

"Leave me alone!" She cried wildly. "Get out. Get out my room!" Tears feel freely down her face.

"Ella," He began but he was cut off by her screams.

"No!" She cried. "Why can't you. just. go." She hit him between words. "Just _LEAVE," _

In that moment, Fred decided that, despite her attempt of attacking him, Ella Potter had never looked more vulnerable and broken and he knew what he had to do. He wouldn't let her wallow in her self-pity and self-destruction. Not again.

Swiftly, he grabbed her belting wrists and spun her round, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her back to his chest as she writhed and thrashed under his hold.

"GET OFF! GET OFF ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed and cried, struggling all the harder. But Fred kept tight hold.

The door flew open as Sirius came running in, shortly followed by Remus.

"What's going on?" Sirius panted, confused by the scene before.

Ella writhed and flailed about in Fred's arms, screaming and crying hysterically.

Sirius was never answered directly but soon he recieved all the answers he needed.

"Ella," Fred spoke so gently that he could barely be heard over Ella's sharp, pain-filled screams, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm never going to hurt you. You're safe now. No one's going to get you; you're safe,"

Finally Ella's tears began to subside, whilst Sirius and Remus watched on dumbly. When Fred felt her physically relax in his arms, he bent down and gently said in her ear, "Go shower, I'll get you some clean pyjamas out for when you're done, then try and get some sleep and I'll come see you in the morning," He placed a gentle and cautious kiss on her head, careful not to unnerve her.

She nodded and went into her ensuite, turning the shower scolding hot before she got under it. She wanted to burn the feel of Karkaroff's grubby fingers from her skin. She wanted to burn it all from her memory but she knew she couldn't.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, the three men looked at each other with sorrowful looks.

"Do you think..." Sirius asked, not being able to bring himself to say the word 'rape'.

"I do," Fred spat in disgust, "And when I find the bastard that did it, I'm going to _kill_ him."


	58. The Days All Feel the Same

You know that first few seconds in the morning where you feel serene and peaceful; those first few moments where nothing matters because the worries and hardships of life aren't playing on your consciousness. Well that's what Ella woke up to. For just a few blissful moments, she didn't remember anything about the traumas of the past twenty four hours. All she was aware of was the soft linen bed cloth that draped kindly around her and the gentle knock that aroused her from her sanctuary of sleep.

And just like, those few peaceful moments of bliss were over and as the ache of her bruised body came flooding into her conscious, so did the memories of what had happened.

It wasn't the fact that Karkaroff had abused her that made her so scared she felt sick, it was the fact that he'd over powered her so easily. It had been so easy and effortless for them to get her and it would be again if they wished to do so and that's what got her. By the time Fred opened the door moments later, she was glad for the distraction from her own thoughts.

"Morning," He smiled softly, placing a mug of tea - white no sugar - on her bedside table, "how did you sleep?"

She urged her body not to flinch as he sat on the edge of her bed, but she couldn't surpress it and as much as he tried to hide it, she saw the look of sadness flash momentarilly across Fred's face and it caused her rage to flare up inside of her.

She _hated_ pity. She wasn't weak, she didn't need people's emapthy. But that was just it. No one could empathise. How did they know what she was or wasn't feeling. Who were they to feel sad for her. What had happened hadn't happened to them, just her. This was her pain, not theirs.

"Fine." She turned her back to Fred and pretended as though she falling back asleep.

"So the sleeping draft worked then,"

This enraged her further. Who was he to spike her cup of tea. Could she not trust anyone anymore.

"Get out." She said flatly. As angry as she was, she didn't have the energy to kick off.

"Ella-" He started, looking down at her fragile frame in wrapped up in the scarlet duvet with a heavy heart. All he wanted to was to help her; to help burden her pain, to make her feel better. But he couldn't and it killed him.

"Out." She said in short, tired voice it was barely recognisable as hers. "Just leave."

"Ella, don't you _dare_ shut me out," Fred snapped back, realising he wasn't getting anywhere, "you know I'd walk to the end of the Earth for you so let me show you,"

"I said get out," She said again, her tone unchanging.

Fred just shook his head and stood up. He didn't want to get into a fight, which was what she was obviously looking for. He had no idea how she felt or what she was going through so he couldn't impose himself on her. "Okay," He finally resided, "but I'm not leaving this house until you're ready to talk. I'll be downstairs when you're ready,"

She didn't reply and with that he left, closing the door gently behind him. He was still in deep thought when he reached the dingy kitchen, to preoccupied in his own thoughts to register the questioning looks he was receiving from the other occupants of the room.

He tried to communicate with her again later that afternoon once everyone apart from Sirius and Harry had gone to visit Mr Weasley in the hospital, but it was no use. He wasn't getting anywhere, except prehaps further backwards. She no longer even acknowledged his presence when he went to visit her.

This cycle of Fred taking up trays of food and drinks and then bringing them back down almost completely untouched without so much as eyen contact, continued for nearly a week before it broke. He had had enough. She clearly wasn't going to talk of her own accord and he sure as hell wasn't going to let her bottle it up until she broke again. He was going to be there for her this time. She was going to talk to him.

"Ella you need to eat something," He said with a sigh as he placed the tray Mrs Weasley had made up on the bed side table before lowering himself into the arm age-induced comfort of the chair, "I'm just going to stay here till you do,"

Ella didn't reply but she did respond and that was more than he'd had in the past five days all added together. She sat up, pulling the sheets close around her chest, giving him an icy stare.

"Dad's doing much better now," He continued talking, "they reckon he'll be able to come home by Christmas, which will be nice. And Harry thinks he's winning Cho round and there's definite sexual tension between-"

"What are you doing Fred?" Ella looked at him with worn out eyes, begging him non-verbally just to leave her alone.

"I'm just filling you in on all the gossip," He said. Although his tone was light, his unyeilding eyes bore into her, challenging her to react, "Lee wrote this morning to saying-"

"No, I mean what are you doing _here_? Don't you understand I just want to be left alone," She sighed, the lack of fight in her tone more crushing than any words she could have said.

"I understand," He said simply, "but you've been left alone for long enough; it's time you rejoined the human race,"

"Just go Fred," She said, lying back down, hoping it would end the conversation, but she should have known Fred better by now.

"eat," He said more assertively this time, standing from his seat and moving over to the double bed, "I'm not going anywhere until you do,"

"I don't want to," She bit back.

"I don't want to leave,"

"For fuck sake, why won't you just fuck off," she cried, "Just leave me..._please,_"

Had Fred not been so happy just to get some emotion from her, her hopelessness would have saddened him, but as it was, it didn't and he continued.

"I won't leave because I love and I wish you'd just accept that," he said matter of factly as though they were discussing what they were going to have dinner.

She just looked at him with pleading eyes. She understood his point and she knew she couldn't go on like this and avoid everyone forever, but the longer she could stall this the better. Finally, he stood from his chair and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.

"I'll be in the library when you're ready to talk," He said gently, placing a such a tender and caring hand on hers that she didn't even break their eye contact, "I love you Elspeth Potter," He almost whispered, "I always have and always will," and with that he left her to wallow in her thoughts on her own.

_Fuck sake, _she cursed to herself as he closed the door. Why did always know exactly what to say to her. Why did she have to chose the boy that wouldn't just walk away. She felt too dirty and inferior for such a boy now. He was worth ten of her and her chest physically hurt when she thought of that.

With a deep sigh, she flung the bed clothes off her and stood on shaky feet. She could do this, she was strong. She was Elspeth Potter and she was strong. By shutting herself off and losing who she was would only be letting Igor win and that couldn't happen; she wouldn't let it. For all Fred was worth ten of her, she was worth a hundred of Igor and she wasn't going to forget it.

With trembling but determined hands she pulled on a pair of old jeans that were currently loose on her waist. As she pulled on one of Fred's shirts over the black camisole she'd been sleeping in, images of Igor and that night nearly a week ago flashed through her mind. She felt the pain of being slammed against the wall in her back. She felt his sweaty, tight grip on her wrists tighten. Her breath began to constrict. No, she thought, she could do this. It was only going to see Fred, _her_ Fred. He was safe. He wouldn't ever hurt her. He didn't have it in him to do so.

It must have been nearly an hour later when she finally plucked up the courage to leave the confine of her bedroom and ventured up the stairs to the library come study on the top floor.

It's just Fred, he's safe, she kept telling herself over and over. He'd said it himself, he wasn't going to hurt her; was he? She was being stupid and she knew it. He wasn't Karkaroff, nor did he have any involvement in the whole ordeal.

With trembling hands, she pushed open the study door, instantly wishing she'd just stayed in the safe comfort of her room but it was too late to turn back now. As she entered, Ella was acutely aware of his gaze boring into her but she couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him.

Silently, she sat on the dark brown suede sofa next to him, but with an unfamiliar distance between them, as though they were merely strangers waiting for the same train. After neither of them spoke - or even exchanged eye contact - for several minutes, Fred stood and made his way over to the large, mahogany cabinet.

"Drink?" He offered, already getting pouring out two large glasses of firewhisky.

Ella, suddenly desperately craving the distracting, familiar scorching burn of the liquor down the back of her throat, took the drink from his hand with a quiet thanks before throwing her head back and gulping it down in one with a shiver.

Fred chuckled softly as she got up to pour herself another, then another, then another.

"Careful lightweight," he teased in a soft, gentle voice, "any more and you'll passed out, leaving me to clean the vomit out of your eyebrows,"

"Hey, that only happened _once_," She shot back at him as she retook her seat next to him, this time leaving less of a gap between them, another full glass in hand.

"If you ask me, it was one time too many," He teased her back, too thrilled for words at her visibly relaxing, even if it was partially due to the alcohol. If there was ever good justification for a bit of alcohol abuse, this was it. For the first time in a week he knew his efforts weren't futile; he was going to get his girl friend back.

"Shut it," She gave him a shove with her shoulder, laughing into her drink as she took another swig.

They sat in silence once again, although this one was much more amicable and comfortable, as the alcohol slowly washed away Ella's anxiety. She felt her head and limbs grow heavy and lanky.

Finally, she jumped up with an over-enthusiastic start, "I want to dance," She declared randomly.

"Er, Elle, I don't know if you've realised but there's no music," He laughed, getting to his feet any way, surprised to feel the alcohol begin to hit him as he did so.

"We don't need music, you and I. We can dance to our own beat," She whispered playfully.

"That was very poetic," He mused, placing his glass down to free his hands to wrap around her slim frame.

However, dance they did not. At the feel of the contact of his strong, bulky arms, albeit it invited, her mind flashed with unwelcome images of being thrown to the floor and Igor hovering over her with a satanic, triumphant grin baring all his blackening teeth. Her body involuntarily jolt backwards, causing her to stumble and nearly fall, and she probably would have fallen had Fred not swiftly caught her by the forearm. This unexpected contact of his hot hand burning into her numb skin was enough to tip her over the edge.

Falling to the floor in fits of sobs, Ella had never felt more hopeless or vulnerable as Fred cradled her in his arms.

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you now. Everything's going to be okay," He tried to comfort her with no avail so he just continued rocking her gently back and forth in his arms. "Please talk to me Ella. Tell me what happened," He pleaded, placing a chaste and comforting kiss on the top of her head, stroking down her straggled long locks of mahogany hair, "please."

Several times Ella opened her mouth to try to tell him, but several times she failed. She couldn't conjugate _that_ word. By saying it out loud it was like it made it all real and if she kept quiet it would all be disregaurded as a bad dream. As much as she knew it never would, she couldn't speak. Her sobs racked through her chest painfully taking all the breath she had, leaving none for talking.

"Ella," He spoke softly again, fighting his own tears away. He couldn't bare seeing her like this, "please tell me; were you raped?" He shuddered involuntarily as the word left his lips.

Although she still could not speak, the pressure of not having to say that word lessened the vigour of her sobs as she nodded slowly, averting her eyes to the ground. And it was probably for the best that she didn't look up. She never saw the look in Fred's as his fears were confirmed. He felt his world crashing down around him, which was ridiculous really. He'd pretty much this since the night it happened, but having her in such a broken heap on his lap, confirming it, it took everything he had to keep his composure. He needed to stay strong, at least for Ella's sake.

"I...I s-should have know," Ella draw in a sharp, shakey inhale of breath, her words causing Fred to wrinkle his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked, taking her chin with two of his fingers and gently bringing her eyes up to meet his for what must have been the first time in a week.

Ella just stared at him for a moment, her breath still raw and unsteady, "D-Draco," She stuttered and stumbled for the right words, "he w-warned me. I should have known," She repeated.

Fred's face darkened a deep red, "Don't tell me it was that slimy little brat," He growled, dropping his hand from where it'd been cradeling his girlfriends face to ru it through his hair, tugging at the red roots as though if he were to let go he might just lose it all together.

"No!" Ella exclaimed quickly. "N-no, it wasn't him," She said quieter, "In fact, it was thanks to him that I got out at all. I might still be there now if it wasn't for him," She mused for to herself than Fred.

Draco. A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She hadn't even thought of him since that night. She'd been too preoccupied in her own pain. What if his father found out it was him that let her go? He couldn't have surely, there was lots of people in the manor that night if the volume of the raucus laughter coming from the drawing room as she tried to escape was anything to go by. She was also almost certain Lucius Malfoy was playing host Voldemort's followers of the Azkaban fugitives. No there was tonnes of people there that night, there was no way it could be pinned on Draco. He would be fine, she rather unsuccessfully tried to convince herself.

"Ella!" Fred snapped her out of her daze, her eyes however, remained glazed over as thoughts flew were being strewn around in her head as though she was experiencing an internal hurricane. "Who did it? Who..._raped_ you," He spat the word in disgust.

"Igor," She said so flatly and simply that Fred had to ask her to repeat herself to see if she was even talking about the right thing, "Igor. It was Igor that raped me," Her eyes still fixed ahead so she didn't have to watch his facial expression twist and turn in disgust.

"What? _HIM?" _He practically yelled, jumping up from his knees, leaving Ella hopelessly on the floor. "It was _him_ and you didn't even tell me?!" He demanded, not meaning to take his anger out her, but he was seeing red and there was no going back, not until blood had been spilt and preferabely Igor's. "That son of a bitch," He muttered to himself, pacing the room, sending anything in his way flying. Glasses and books alike crashed to the floor noisily. "I'm gonna kill him," He swore more to himself than to Ella. In all honesty, he'd practically forgotten she was still there, "I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" He yelled violently.

Just at that moment, the study door flew open and in poured the majority of the adult residents of the house, joined by Harry. They'd been having an Order meeting in the kitchen and had been interrupted by loud shouts and crashes above.

"Harry, go to your room," Sirius demanded once he'd seen the young girl lying on the floor. She hadn't stirred during Fred's tirade. She'd just stayed lying there, staring into nothingness.

Harry looked disgruntled at his God father's request but obliged none the less with a deal of grumbling as he went.

"What's happened?" Remus took control of the situation, but before he got an answer, Severus Snape ambled into the room to survey the cause of such a ruckus.

"YOU!" Fred almost screamed in his rage, raising a furious hand to point it at his potions master. "You're one of _them. _I bet you were in on it weren't you! Weren't you?!" He yelled in fury. Snape chuckled in response.

The next thing Fred registered hearing was his mother's scolding cry as strong hands grabbed each of his arms, pulling him off of his potions master, whose neck his hands had begun to close around. He didn't remember how even got there from where he was stood, nor did he really have any recollection of actually trying to strangle the Slytherin teacher, but he did.

"Fred," Remus interjected Mrs Weasley's raging rants, attempting to regain so control of the situation, "what do you mean _'one of them'_? What do you think Professor Snape was in on?" He asked calmly with stern authority, that had made him such a good teacher during his one year stunt as DADA teacher in his fifth year.

Fred looked guiltily around the adults and then down to Ella who still hadn't moved or even looked up. This wasn't his secret to tell and yet not giving an explanation was impossible now. Oh shit, he'd screwed royally once again, even after he'd sworn he wouldn't. He had vowed he would never hurt her again but here he was doing just that; being an unsupportive, hot-headed prick.

"Er...I..." He stumbled in his predicament.

"Fred, you _have_ to tell us. You just tried to strangle a teacher," Remus told the younger boy, approaching him like a wild bull that could charge at any minute.

Fred opened his mouth again with hesitation, but he was cut off by someone most the adults had forgot was even there.

"I told Fred I was raped by Igor Karkaroff." Ella said, remaining so still that if it wasn't for her words, you wouldn't have believed it was her that had spoke.

"W...What?" Remus spoke, losing his calm composure, whilst Mrs Weasley uttered a quiet omen.

This time Ella sat up, propping herself up against the sofa, which she'd been sat on earlier. "You heard me," She turned to look at the adults with a stoney, unreadable expression, "Lucius Malfoy blind-sighted me in Muggle London, grabbed me and before I knew it I was locked in the basement of Malfoy Manor and was paid a little _visit_ by Igor," She gave a bitter laugh, "I suppose I'm just over reacting. I mean, is it even counted as rape if you've already slept with them?" She continued to laugh manically. "It kinda funny really when you think about it,"

"Don't ever say that," Remus said sternly, crouching by his God daughter, "What he did to you was inexcusable and something only a _vile_ human being could ever do,"

A single tear trailed slowly down Ella's patchy face, "I tried to stop it; I did, but I couldn't. I just couldn't stop him," She wept softly now, like it was finally dawning on her, this was something that she was always going to have to live with. No amount of magic could erase this from her memory and she would probably carry around the scars of this for the rest of her life.

Mrs Weasley swept down and scooped the young, broken girl into a motherly hug, "Oh Ella," She sighed, "You poor lamb."

**A/N: Hi all! Sorry my updates are so slow at the minute, A levels are an absolute ball ache and it appears I'm mad enough to have taken on 5 ahaha! I was very very happy with my results with 5 A*s, 5 As and a B so thank you all for the well wishes! I will try to get updates out as quick as possible but I PROMISE I've no intention of abandoning and the story should be wrapped up in the next ten or so chapters, but don't worry, I see a sequel on the horizon ;) Thanks for reading and please review if you have the time, you don't understand how much they inspire me to write.**

**XOXO -C**


	59. When Peace Shall Over all the Earth

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, but here's a long Christmas chapter ready for Christmas! Just a quick warning, it's sexually explicit towards the end so if this offends you then just stop reading when you get to it, but I didn't need to tell you that. Enjoy...**

The last few days before Christmas flew by. Now everyone knew Ella's secret, things started to return to normal - or as normal as things could be when you had ten people under one roof.

Before she knew it, she awoke to Christmas eve morning and a soft knock on the door.

"Ella, you awake?" Fred called, popping his head around the door as she called him in. Setting the breakfast tray he had brought up, courtesy to his mum, down on her lap, before opening the heavy drapes, allowing unseasonally warm sun to flood through the room, casting a warm ray over the bed.

"Thanks," She muttered appreciatively. She was still an emotional mess after the whole ordeal at the Malfoy mannor but she knew it wasn't Fred's fault, nor was it fair to punish him. Still, she didn't feel up to facing large amounts of people, and that's exactly how many people there were staying in Grimmauld Place and she was bound the bump into if she left the confines of her room. Hence the amount of time she, and therefore Fred, had been spending up there for the past few days.

"How you feeling this morning?" He asked, placing a tender kiss on her forehead before taking a seat in the large, comfy armchair Kreacher had brought up for him a few days previously.

As much of a miserable sod Kreacher could be, he had taken a real warming to the young girl. She was always kind to him, and that was something his responded well too. As far as he was concerned, although she wasn't from the superior blood lines of his old mistress, she was powerful enough and had a kind heart. She probably had the most control of him out of all the current inhabitants of the house.

"I'm feeling much better thank you," She lied with a decieving smile. She knew Fred could probably see right through it but there was no point dwelling on the past any more than she had to. What had happened, had happened and by not moving on, she would only being giving Karkaroff the satisfaction he wanted, and that was one thing she wasn't going to do. He had no hold over her, and the only way she could show him and all of Voldemort's slimy pathetic followers was by plastering on a cheerful smile and getting on with her life. Even if, for now, that smile was fake. Letting them know they couldn't break her made her feel more powerful than all the magical powers in the world could make her feel and for now that was enough.

"Good, we're having a celebration downstairs tonight," Fred informed her, "You feel up to it?

No. Was the simple answer. No, she didn't feel like it at all. In fact, going down and facing all those people, in front of whom she'd publicly confessed what had happened to her, at once was just about the last thing she wanted to do, but she had to go down and celebrate with them. After all, it was Christmas, and in an odd sort of disfunctional way they were all her family.

"Of course I do," She smiled again, eating another spoonful of her porridge.

The two sat in a comfortable silence, Ella eating her breakfast peacefully whilst Fred leafed through that morning's paper, when Ella dropped her spoon with a start.

"Shit." She cursed, "Oh fucker," she groaned.

Fred chuckled softly, "What is it?" He asked, bemused at his girlfriend's outburst.

"I forgot to get everyone's presents. Shit. I can't believe I did that," She moaned, placing her breakfast tray on her bedside table, flinging the covers from her and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I'm sure they'll understand," Fred smiled, going back to reading his paper, "You know with every thing that's gone on and that,"

"That's not the point," She exclaimed exasperatedly as she rummaged through her chest of draws, "I don't to be treated any different, it's Christmas and on Christmas you give people presents, that's how it works!" She slammed the draws shut, tugging her jeans on under her cotton dressing gown.

"Lucky for you I thought ahead and bought all your presents for you last week then isn't it," He smiled behind his paper.

"Fred Weasley, I really hope you're not messing with me right now because I'm due on my period and definitely far too hormonal to be victim to one of your jokes,"

"I'm not messing, I promise. There not anything much, but I know how much these traditions mean to you,"

He barely had time to set down his paper before he was hit by a flying sixty kilogram cannonball.

"Oh Fred Weasley, you're a little star," She practically wailed, hugging him tightly, "where would I be without you,"

"Being a miserable sod somewhere, most likely," He grunted, before cracking a smile, unable to hide his elation at seeing a glimpse of his old girlfriend emerging and knowing he had helped in some way. It was insignificant and small in the scheme of things, but he had felt so helpless, knowing there was nothing he could say or do to ease her pain over the past week and words couldn't describe how happy he was to have her back to her silly old ways.

"I love you Fred Weasley, you're a pratt but I love you," She laughed, kissing him joyfully on the lips, momenterilly forgetting her aversion from physical contact. This was her Fred and he really did love and care about her.

"What's with all this use of my full name," He chuckled, "I feel like I'm in a meeting with Dumbledore,"

Ella just smiled at him impishly, "Well I hope _this_ doesn't remind you of our head master," She grinned, placing passionate kisses down his jaw and then his neck.

He groaned at her touch, composing himself enough to speak, "Well, we've had a few similar encounters, but not many I'll admit,"

She smacked him playfully, settling herself on his lap, locking her eyes on his, holding intense eye contact, a serious and determined look in her eyes.

"I love you, Fred, and I want to be with you...properly, if you get what I mean," She felt a blush creep up her neck, "I can't promise you when I'll be ready but I know one thing, and that's that I want you and only you,"

"Well, that's one thing I can agree with, and I'll be here when you're ready. Whenever that is," He added, and he meant it. Whether it was a day or a year, he would be there if his life depended on it. "You look cute when you blush," He chuckled softly, playing with her dark brown hair.

"Oh fuck off," She pushed him away, "I'm going for a shower, I suggest you do the same, you stink," She said waltzing out the room.

"Love you too," He called with a smile. Yes he was getting his girlfriend back alright, in all her sarcastic glory.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Only a couple of minutes to go," Remus called to everyone gathered in the kitchen of Grimauld Place, as he and Molly handed glasses of champagne out to everyone, Molly giving the kids orange juice instead of the alcohol.

"Here," Sirius swapped the orange juices with glasses of champagne when the older woman wasn't looking, "don't let your mother catch you, and if she does, it wasn't me," He added with a wink.

"Ah, Padfoot, we can always count on you to supply us minors," Harry laughed, taking the glass from his godfather.

"It's a shame you're couped up in here really, or we could send you to the off licence round the corner to get us fags as well," Ella teased, taking a sip from her glass.

Sirius shot her a look that caused her to snort, sending her sip of champagne up her nose.

"Oh wow, now that _is_ attractive," George teased the girl, passing her a napkin.

Before she got chance to retaliate, Mrs Weasley cut them all off, "It's midnight," She trilled joyously, "Merry Christmas everyone!" She said raising her glass.

Merry Christmases were echoed around the room as everyone raised their glasses in cheers to good health and happiness, after all not much of that was going round with the dreadful war that was beginning to unfold. God knows it wouldn't be a merry Christmas in the Diggory household this year.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful," Fred whispered in Ella's ear, wrapping a strong arm around her torso, holding her close to him.

"Merry Christmas," She whispered back, turning to face him and placing a soft peck on his lips.

"Oh get a room," Harry groaned playfully, flicking a bit of champage at his older sister.

"Harry!" She scolded him. "Don't waste perfectly good, expensive alcohol,"

"Nice to know where your priorities lie," He chortled, "most girls would complain about their hair or make up; your more concerned about the waste of alcohol," He teased.

"Now now, children, play nice," Ginny interupted them before downing her drink in one.

"Now that's how alcohol should be used," Ella laughed at the younger girl. She may only be fourteen but Merlin did the girl know how to drink, but then what else did you expect from someone with five older brothers.

"You lot should be heading to bed," Mrs Weasley bustled over, in too high spirits to notice it wasn't orange juice they were holding in their hands, "It's going to be an early start, so finish off your drinks and get some sleep," She instructed, leaving before she could hear any arguments or complaints, but there weren't any. They were all actually quite tired for once.

"I don't know about you lot, but I can't wait to get into bed," Ella yawned, knocking back the remainder of her drink and setting the glass on the table as she moved to say goodnight to the adults.

Remus hugged her tightly, "Night Elle, sleep well."

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

"Come on Ella, get up! Get up! It's Christmas," Harry ran into her room, leaping on her bed as though he was five, not fifteen. "It's Christmas! Come on,"

"Oh really, I hadn't remembered," She shot back sarcastically, pulling back the covers and slipping on her warm dressing gown and slippers over her jamas.

It was a cold December, and in contrast to the previous day, they'd been blessed with a proper white Christmas as she opened her curtains to see a good few inches of snow had fallen over night.

The siblings made their way to the sitting room, that - in contrast to how it had at the begging of summer - felt warm and cosy, with Mrs Weasley's addition of new, scarlet drapes, the odd, tattered sofas and arrm chairs, a large rug in the centre of the room and the open fire was crackling away happy. The Christmas stood proudly in the corner, under which was an over flowing of presents wrapped in various papers, all different sizes.

"Morning dears, has anyone seen the twins yet?" Mrs Weasley bustled over, hugging each of the siblings in turn.

A load pop announced the twin's arrival into the room. "Boys!" Their mother scolded. "Just because you can use magic doesn't mean you have to use it all the bloody time!" She scowled. "Any way, come over. That's it, everyone shuffle round, we'll start to open the presents," She fussed, "Arthur dear, you take this seat here, that's it,"

And so the present unwrapping began. Everyone received a knitted jumper with their initial on it from Mr and Mrs Weasely. The twins, Ron and Ginny could complain about them all they wanted, but Ella loved them. They might only ever really be worn on the day they were received but they were homemade and it made them all look like a proper, even if slightly large, family. This year, Ella's was a deep burgundy, with a white 'E' on it.

They went through and all unwrapped their presents one by one. Ella received three tickets to a quidditch match, Wigtown Wanderers Vs the Chudley Cannons, from Remus, a bottle of Firewhisky from Sirius, a book from Hermione, an expenisve looking zipper lighter that was black with a red and gold stripe across it from George and a box of chocolates from Ron. Harry had gotten her a delicate locket hung on a silver chain, in which was a picture of the two of them at the yule ball last Christmas.

"I love it, thank you Harry," She smiled, pulling him into a hug, just feeling ashamed she hadn't put the same effort into her gift for him, although Fred _had_ done a very good job with her presents.

The last present she had to open was a large gift wrapped box, on which the label read:

_To my gorgeous girlfriend,  
Wishing you a very merry Christmas  
__With Lots of Love,  
__Your even more gorgeous boyfriend_

"Modest," Ella chuckled as she read it. He really was such a moron at times, but she wouldn't change that about him for the world.

She carefully unwrapped the box, untying the ribbon neatly. It was full of envelopes that were a variety of pastel colours, each one reading 'open when...' then a different ending to the sentence. She looked up at him with an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

"Every time you ever need a pick-me-up or just need reassurance, there'll be an envelope. They're full of memories, my thoughts," He whispered into her hair, slipping an arm around her waist as she sat cross legged on the floor.

"They're brilliant, thanks," She hugged him forcefully, urging the tears swimming around her eyes not to spill out.

~~~~~C~~~~~

Around two o'clock in the afternoon, the inhabitants of Grimmauld place were all lured to the kitchen by the incredible smells that were flooding out of there. Prior to that, the day had largely been spent lazing around, chatting idly and playing various wizarding board games.

They all sat around the table, clad in their coordinated jumpers, waiting impatiently for their dinner, with it not just being their stomachs grumbling in complaint.

"I'm so hungry," George complained.

"Me too," Ron sulked.

"And me," Sirius joined in.

Mrs Weasley, flustered and red in the face, snapped around from where she'd be busying herself over the cooker, "Will you kids shut up, and if you're that bloody hungry, here's an idea; get out off your seat and help,"

"Nah, it's alright mum, I'm not that hungry," Ron and George quickly retreated.

Sirius, meanwhile, turned to Remus and Harry, "I'm a kid again?" He feigned his hurt.

"You've never stopped being a kid," Remus shook his head with a chuckle, "Is there anything I can help you with, Molly?" He offered, leaving the table to help to stressed woman.

It wasn't long before they were all sat with a feast of roast potatoes, succulent turkey and many other delights, the smell of which was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

"Before we start eating, I'd just like to give say something," Mr Weasley, still looking rather battered and bruised, having only been out of the hospital for a matter of days, "And that is to thank Harry, without whom I would not be sitting here," He raised his glass, "To Harry,"

"To Harry," Everyone else chorused, making Harry blush furiously.

Ella instantly felt ashamed. With everything going on, she'd forgotten all about her brother and the connection they'd found with his and Voldemort's brain. She couldn't imagine how terrifying it must be for him. However, knowing her brother, he would most likely be wanting to use it to help the Order in any way he could. He was strong, she knew that much.

It was at times like these she really missed the presence of her parents. If they were here now, the four of them would most likely be sat around a table, making lively conversation and humorous jokes. Or at least, that's how she imagined her parents would have been. She didn't remember much of them, but from what she did remember of them, they were jolly and friendly people. She hoped that, where ever they were, they would be proud of the strength their children possessed. People could say what they wanted about Harry and herself, but one thing that couldn't be doubted was their courage and determination. Last year and the triwizard tournament was a prime example. Merlin, the past few weeks had proved that.

"Penny for your thoughts," Fred leaned over with a playful.

"Oh darling, they're worth much more than that," She shot back with a wink, taking a sip from her drink, before joining the rest of the group in digging in to their delicious looking meal.

She may not have much of a biological family of her own, but that didn't matter. Everyone sat around the table at the moment was her family, whether she liked it or not.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

The teenagers of the household spent the evening lounging around the sitting room, stuffed to the brim with food, all feeling so full that they seriously wondered whether they'd ever be able to eat another bite again. That was, until, Remus had given them a large box of honeydukes finest chocolates to share, of course. They all suddenly found extra room in their stomachs, after all, how much room does a little bit of chocolate really take up.

"I can't move," Ron groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Me neither," Ginny seconded, the rest of them nodding in agreement.

"I think we should play a game," Ella pushed herself up to a more upright position from where she'd been lounging in Fred's arm.

"As long as it doesn't involve any running," George chuckled, "Or walking for that matter. I plan to reside in this chair for the rest of eternity,"

"You're so bloody mellow dramatic," Ella chucked a cushion at chocolate at him playfully, which he caught masterfully and popped into his mouth, earning him incredulous looks from the rest of the group.

"What?" He shrugged. "Can't waste good food now can we. Think of the kids in Africa,"

Ella rolled her eyes, "Come on, I've got a good muggle game that doesn't involve too much movement,"

"Urgh, movement," Fred joined in with the moaning.

"Oh, shut up," Ella laughed, "Ever heard of charades?"

"Oh yes! I used to play it with my parents at Christmas when I was little!" Hermione said from where she was sat on the floor.

"What in Merlin's name is this _'charades'_," Fred groaned.

"Basically, we're in two teams and when it's your turn you chose a film, book or whatever and your team have to guess what it is," She explained.

"Sounds pretty easy," Ron shrugged.

"But you're not aloud to talk, they have to guess by your actions," Ella added with a smug grin as his face dropped.

"Actions? How the frick are we meant to do that,"

"It's exactly as it sounds Ronald," Hermione gave him one her infamous frowns, "You act it out,"

"I'm not sure I can be arsed with this," He moaned, sinking further still into his armchair.

"Don't be a kill-joy Ronnekins," George teased him.

"I'm not-"

"Shut up Ron, you're playing end of," Ginny silenced him.

"How is it that your younger than me and still have my life," He pushed himself up to a sitting position, pulling Harry up with him as he did so.

"Simple, I'm a girl and we all know that we're the more powerful sex," Ginny retorted.

"Not true," He scoffed.

"Don't tell me that the girls in this room don't have you four completely whipped," She laughed triumphantly.

"I'm not whipped," Fred said indignantly.

"Do you want to rephrase that," Ella raised an eyebrow menacingly.

"Sorry darling, you're right as always," He pulled her onto his lap again, resting his chin on her slender shoulder, his words causing them all to laugh.

"My twin may be whipped, but none of you hold any power over me," George said triumphantly.

"Angelina does though," Ella scoffed, causing George's face to match the colour of his hair, "Right, now that's sorted, teams?"

Ginny looked around the group thoughtfully, "Me and Ella will be team leaders and choose our teams. Ella?"

"Okay then, I pick...Hermione,"

"What?" Fred scoffed. "Does being your boyfriend not mean anything,"

But Ginny cut him off, "I pick Harry,"

"Okay, I pick George then," Ella pointed at him, causing Fred to grumble about priorities.

"I pick Ron," Ginny chose the younger of her elder brothers.

"Do you want Fred as well?" Ella offered the extra player to the redhead.

"Sure, Fred you're on my team as well,"

"So much for loyalty," Fred chuntered, shoving Ella off his lap to stand and move to where Ginny's team had congregated at the sofa opposite them.

"I'm sorry darling," Ella chuckled, "But you can't act for shit, so you'll probably be terrible at charades, and I play to win,"

And Ella was right; Fred was truly the epitome of shit at this game. On Fred's third turn, his team were yet to have guessed a single word of his actions.

"Oh come on!" He yelled in exasperation. "That was obviously 'God Rest ye Merry Hippogriphs'! Sirius was only singing it a few hours ago for Merlin's sake!"

They all fell about laughing, "How on Earth was that meant to be a hippogriph!" Ella squealed in laughter as the memory of Fred's dire impression of the magical beast. "It's a good job buckbeak's upstairs and didn't have to witness that,"

They were still all (minus Fred of course) in fits of laughter when Remus and Sirius entered the room.

"You lot seem to be having a lot of fun, mind if we join," Sirius smirked, carrying his glass of firewhisky.

"We're playing charades," Hermione, being the only one who could compose herself for long enough, told them, "It's a muggle game. Essentially, you think of a song or book or something and act it out to your team and they have to guess what it is you're trying to act. Oh, and Fred's terrible at it," She added with a little snort.

"It's not _that_ funny," Fred grumbled again, folding his arms across his chest.

"Sounds fun," Remus remarked with a bemused smile.

"Remus, you can be on our team," Ginny called him over, in the hope that he might make up for Fred's incompetency, "that means Sirius, you're on Ella's,"

Sirius smiled at Ella as he sat on the sofa her team were occupying.

"Got any more of that going spare?" Ella grinned impishly, nodding at his firewhisky. Sirius just smiled in bemusement, conjuring another glass and pouring some of his into it. "Thanks," she smiled.

"Ella it's your team's turn," Ron announced.

"Right, George it's your turn. See if you can do any better than your twin,"

George bounced up from his seat, and walked into the clearing they had made.

"3,2,1...GO!"

George pretended to leaf through the pages of a book.

"Book! It's a book!" Hermione yelled.

He then began flailing his arms in the motion of casting a spell.

"CASTING!"  
"SPELLS!"  
"MAGIC!"

George nodded.

"YES, magic! Right, now what's the next word?" Ella asked.

He then caused further amusement as he started charging around the room, using his fingers to represent two horns on his head.

"MAGICAL BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM!" Hermione yelled with a squeal as George nodded.

Ella's team high fived one another in elation.

After several more rounds, the game finally drew to a close, with Ella's team winning by a mile.

One by one, they started to excuse themselves to bed, other than Remus, Harry, Fred, Ella and Sirius.

"Care for another drink?" Sirius offered the group. Fred and Ella accepted hastilly whilst Harry and Remus politely declined. Maybe that's why they worked so well as a couple, after all, people who drink together stay together and all that, and Fred and Ella could often be found passed out in a corner somewhere together on a night out.

Several drinks later, and Fred and Ella retired to bed, feeling slightly hazy but only just, a warm buzz filling them from the inside. Ella hugged the two men remaining, Fred trying to do some form of manly hug, and wishing them well, the couple made their way up the stairs.

As they reached Ella's bedroom door, Fred kissed her chastely on the head.

"Merry Christmas my little bellend," He said, turning to leave.

"Fred," She caught his arm, so they were face to face again, "Come to bed with me," She said shyly, looking to her feet as she felt herself blush like a fourteen year old.

"Of course, if that's what you want," He said kindly, making it clear she could change her mind without him being offended.

"I do want it," She smiled, placing her lips delicately on his, letting them linger for just a moment too long for the kiss to be considered chaste.

Fred kissed her again, but this time with more passion, as he entwined a hand in her hair. Her body responding automatically, Ella parted her lips to allow his tongue to slide in expertly.

Hurridly, the went into Ella's room, and as soon as the door was closed behind them, Ella found herself pushed up against it, her legs wrapped around Fred's muscular torso. They kissed each other hungrily, as though it was going to be the last night they could spend together in a long time.

"Fred," Ella panted, breaking the passionate kiss, resting her forehead to his, "I'm ready," She said simply, but he knew exactly what she meant.

"Are you sure?" He replied through jaggered breaths. "This isn't just the firewhisky talking?" He added with a kind smile.

"I'm sure," She nodded, although the firewhisky had definitely helped, but it was what she wanted and she knew that.

Fred responded with a kiss; this one much slower and more gentle than the previous one.

Carefully, he began fingered the hem of her jumper from Mrs Weasley, and tenderly slipped his hand under it, placing his hand flat on her lean torso, where it left her skin burning and tingling pleasantly. Slowly, he lifted the jumper over her head, leaving her stood in just her bra and jeans. He returned his lips to hers, before tracing a path of nips and kisses down her jaw then her neck.

Ella, fighting everything inside her that was screaming out for this to stop, lowered her shaky hands to his belt, where she fumbled about to undo it. Finally freeing the buckle, Ella broke the kiss to slide Fred's trousers down his legs. She'd forgotten just how muscular they were. Although, in reality, it had only really been a few weeks since she'd last been with him intimately, it felt like an age; like they were rediscovering each other all over again. Their senses were alight and everything was heightened.

She returned her lips to his, capturing them in a passion filled kiss before pulling Fred's jumper over his head, exposing his toned chest. Fred scooped Ella up and she wrapped her legs around him in response as he slowly moved across the room and gently placed her on the bed, their lips never parting.

Next to go were Ella's trousers, as Fred carefully removed them effortlessly. He kissed a delicate path of kisses down her neck, lingering at her collar bones, as his hands slipped behind her back to her bra strap.

"You still sure? You can back out any time, it's okay," He whispered softly, using his free hand to brush a piece of hair off of her face, cradling her cheek in his large palm.

Ella looked him straight in the eye, her eyes burning with fire and determination. "I'm sure. I want this. I _need_ this," She whispered in reply, pulling his lip back to hers, to show him she meant it. She did. She needed to do this. This was Fred, _her_ Fred, he wasn't going to hurt her. By not getting on with her life or putting her relationship on hold, she would only be letting Karkaroff win, and that could _not_ happen.

And it was all the confirmation Fred needed, as he skillfully removed her bra and the rest of their undergarments. Gently and slowly, he lowered into her. He stayed there for a moment or two, trying to read the expression on Ella's face. It wasn't sad or fearful, but she certainly didn't look at ease. But then again, he couldn't imagine the inner turmoil she must be going through right now.

Once her expression started to soften, he began to move inside of her; in and out, in and out, in a steady rhythm. They had all the time in the world, and he was going to make sure he didn't push her too far too fast.

The rhythm gradually began to increase as Ella let out a whimper of pleasure. He pushed his lips to hers reassuringly as he drove into her quicker and harder, but she didn't seem to mind as she groaned his name. He felt her quiver underneath him as she came and cried out his name again.

The mere sound of her saying his name in that way tipped him over the edge as he too came, mastering all the energy he could to prop himself up on his elbows and not crush her under his weight.

Rolling to the side, he pulled her into his side, where they lay silently for a few minutes, until Fred felt something warm and wet land on his chest.

"Elle?" He tipped her chin with his index finger so their faces met, when he saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. He sat up in alarm, "oh Elle," He pulled her close to him, embracing her tightly, "You should've said if you weren't ready. I would have stopped, I wouldn't have minded. You know I wouldn't," He was on the brink of tears himself, his insides coiling painfully at the thought of hurting her. He'd promised he wouldn't.

"It...it wasn't too soon. I wanted it, I'm glad it happened," She reasurred him quickly, seeming to be more annoyed at herself than him, "It's so stupid," She scolded herself, "I don't know why I'm crying, it's just a big thing if you get what I mean. But then I don't want it to be a big thing because it means I've let him win. But I can't help it," She broke down into sobs of frustration and anger, rather than sadness, as she clutched onto Fred's chest, burying her head in his arm, not wanting him to see her so distressed.

"It's okay, I understand," He whispered softly, stroking her hair comfortingly, "I understand. And just for the record, you're not weak and he has definitely _not_ won. You've been so strong, so brave, I can't even begin to express my admiration for you, now more than ever. You've been through so much in the past year and yet you still smile and play games with the rest of us. You don't let it bother you or stop you from getting on with your life, because that's who you are. And somebody who was weak and pathetic couldn't do that. Believe me when I say it, you're the most incredible woman I've ever met. You're beautiful, clever and probably the strongest person I've ever met, and don't you forget it."

**A/N: Okay guys, so that was the next chapter out! Hope you all enjoyed it, and remember to let me know what you think in a review. Again, I'm sorry for how long it took me to get this update out, but for some reason I found this chapter really hard to write, as well as having a dick head of a boss who seems to think it's okay to give me 20 hours a week on top of college and A Level work, but ahh well, shit happens. I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and get everything you want! **

**Best Wishes -C x**


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